


The Anomaly

by JimMoriartyH1



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Blood and Violence, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Interfusiontale, Multiverse, Original Character(s), Post-Undertale Genocide Route, Verbal Abuse, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-06-30 23:19:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15761775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JimMoriartyH1/pseuds/JimMoriartyH1
Summary: Alanna isn't one to listen to superstitious warnings; so it is unequivocally her fault that she fell into the bowels of Mt. Ebbot. Will she be able to untangle the complicated mess that Frisk, who is not exactly what they seem, has left behind to give the Underground the happy ending it deserves? And what is this darkness that's spreading into their world? Will a simple pacifist route do?Officially the Interfusiontale AU.





	1. The Luck of the Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So I started a discord for my fanfics! If you like this and want to talk to me about it then join! It should be fun! just be nice to one another. I also have a tumblr, that's mostly me reblogging things I like but now with updates from my writing process!  
> Hope you guys like this little adventure.
> 
> Discord: https://discord.gg/gJrUG9s  
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jimmoriartyh1

New towns were always a strange mixture of exciting and sad to Alanna. She had seen her fair share as a child when her parents would drag her from town to town. Self-proclaimed ‘drifters’ Marie and Michael Ledbetter never quite settled down. Even now they were drifting somewhere in the South sending their only daughter postcards from various places. 

Alanna was very much  _ not _ a drifter. Leaving her new friends just after there was some sort of connection formed always sat ill on Alanna. Not that she would mention that to her parents, who viewed each move as a new adventure. When Alanna settled on a single college her parents actually settled for a few years, wanting to give her a support system during the difficult time in her life. After Alanna landed a job in the campus radio-station and grabbed her own apartment her parents drifted off again. 

Graduation made Alanna cry. After four years of being in a single place with the same group of friends she was being thrown into the real world. Thankfully after multiple Skype interviews and one in person interview Alanna had gotten a job at a little radio station in a little town that sat in the shadow of a rather large looking mountain. 

Her apartment actually felt pretty spacious here, and being surrounded by trees was pretty nice. The mountain gave the town a protected feel, though the locals were very wary of it. She had learned from a few different sources that the mountain was supposed to house the entrance to the Land of the Monsters. The local legends stated that there was a Great War a long time ago in which the humans won, and the Monsters, who took on various shapes and sizes, fled under the Mountain. 

After a few months of being in her new town she decided to hike the mountain, and she supposed that was what left her in this situation.

“H-help.” Alanna’s voice echoed around the small chamber, but nobody came. Her leg was nothing but pain, and she was sure that she had skinned her hands and side from her attempt to stop the fall. The hole above her let in muted light which cast the small cavern she had landed in. Vines surrounded the hole and seemed to crawl down the darkened walls. 

Alanna herself had landed in a rather cushy bed of golden flowers the likes of which she hadn’t really seen before. “Please,” she called a bit louder panic beginning to build, “please someone help!” Once again there was no reply. Alanna attempted to get up, but putting weight on her leg made it buckle underneath her. 

“Well….” Alanna said breathing out in a woosh, “crap. Okay, keep it together….not that talking to myself is really considered keeping it together.” She paused taking a small breath. “At least in proper society.” Another heave and another fall.  “All right, if I can’t walk….I need to crawl.”

Alanna attempted crawling, and though the dragging motion of her injured leg hurt, she was mobile. It was dark-ish in the cavern, but she slid herself along against a wall until she found a rather uniform feeling opening. “Can’t stop now,” Alanna scolded herself when she sat for a moment feeling the strange smoothness of the wall, “I’ve barely gotten anywhere. The exit is only just ahead.” She lied to herself. “Just gotta keep going.” 

The next room was empty but a hole, smaller than the one she had fallen through, let in a single beam of light that illuminated a single patch of emerald grass. Alanna scraped along the floor until she hit the patch of grass. 

“Yeah, okay….still light…..that’s good.” She spoke her own voice echoing back to her sounding more and more hopeless. “It really hurts.” She admitted to the open space. It remained silent, offering no advice for her plight. Straightening her leg almost caused her to pass out. It was swollen, straining at the fabric of her jeans. “Shit,” she mumbled feeling a numb sense of horror steal over her. 

She had been this hurt before, but never alone. And certainly never stuck in the bottom of a cave system on a mountain that no one visited for fear of the ‘monsters’ that lurked underneath. Perhaps this cave  _ was _ the monster. Swallowing people whole and keeping them until they starved.  There were no bones that she could see, but the fact that the edges of the room were cast in shadow didn’t help Alanna’s already panicked mind. 

“Oh no,” she said feeling the familiar burning behind her eyes that signaled she was about to cry, “that’s not good. No, I can’t cry right now.” Alanna quickly began to scrape along the floor until she came to a wall. She moved as quickly as her body would allow. She would almost say she was trying to outrun the hopelessness of the situation. “Nope.” She said pushing the tears back as her hands skimmed along the wall as she crawled. 

When she came across another uniform opening she watched as the first tears filled her eyes and made the darkness shift and blur before her eyes. “Okay, I can cry.” She hiccupped her hand going to lightly touch her leg. “But I can’t stop moving forwards.” Tears began to fall, but she ignored them and forced herself to slide along the floor until she came out into a new room. It was rather brightly lit and the color of the stone threw her off. Different shades of purple shifting and fading into itself. The walls almost looked like they were made of purple bricks, and across the room from her was a grand looking staircase. Vivid red leaves were piled in-between the flights of stairs and a few were scattered in a square shape in the middle of the room. It looked as if someone had tended them lovingly until they took shape. 

Maybe someone was down here. Or maybe nature is cruel and wanted to instill a small bit of hope in Alanna before it crushed her totally and completely. The way her day was going, Alanna expected it to be the second option.

“Weird,” she sniffed hardly aware of the fact that she was still sluggishly crying, “why are there stairs in a cave? Maybe they’re ancient.” She muttered dragging herself towards the base of the stairs. Her body was already getting sore. Purple dirt had caked itself along her jeans and on her hands. So much of it had pushed its way underneath her nails Alanna was sure that she would never be able to get all of it out. 

Her hands were now a strange mix of purple dirt and blood which had mixed into a maroon that was constantly stinging. She had made it to the large pile of leaves that had bunched up in-between the flights of stairs. The slight crunch of the leaves underneath her stinging palms brought a strange surge of determination through the woman. There was a strange moment where she swore she saw floating words. 

**File Saved.** Along with a small two note run. 

Alanna shook her head and the words were gone as if they had never been there in the first place. “I must be hurt a lot more than I first thought.” Alanna said quietly to herself. “Floating words don’t just appear. Maybe I should rest?” Her body was horribly aching at this point, the strain of the day finally getting to her. She had hiked up the mountain for hours before she had fallen underneath it. The air here was much cooler than that of the above world, and Alanna was beginning to feel the chill of it seeping into her bones. She pulled herself a bit further into the leaves making a small nest around her. She began to check herself over a bit more with the better source of light, though she had no idea where it was coming from. 

There were more cuts than she had first thought. They covered her under-arms in long ragged swipes that spoke volumes about her struggle to stay out of the hole. Her pale skin made the cuts look horrible, almost already infected. She lightly lifted up her shirt and the same angry cuts had made their way up her stomach stopping just past her belly button. Her pants were ripped into angry shreds much like the skin underneath. Her jeans were already adhered to her skin, pasted there with blood and sweat. Her leg was the worst. It was swollen to the point that it looked more like a sausage stuffed into a too small casing, spilling out slightly where the tears and cuts were made. 

It hurt. Alanna worried that the swelling was going to trap her into her jeans, but she already felt so far removed from her surroundings. It was almost too easy to lean back into the vividly red leaves, which were feeling more like a memory foam bed, and close her eyes. Some voice in the back of her mind was screaming at her to get up. That if she fell asleep she would never get up.

The voice wasn’t loud enough.


	2. The Caretaker

“Oh dear,” a soothing voice and the feel of something soft and fuzzy brushing against Alanna’s neck, “you poor thing.” A pause. “Still alive!” This sounded a bit happier. “Do not worry, dear one. You will be out of pain soon.” 

Alanna opened her eyes to see a very large being hovering over her. She felt like running, but her way was blocked, so instead she stared the source of the voice down. White fur covered a huge body reminding Alanna vaguely of freshly fallen snow. The being had to be at least seven feet tall, but they had crouched in front of Alanna most likely soiling the pretty purple dress that they were wearing. The face reminded Alanna of some of the cuter goat plushies with a hint of horns sitting between longer and fluffy ears that hung like long flowing hair. The goat-being seemed distressed, their mouth hanging just the slightest bit open, and their dark pink eyes locked onto Alanna’s face.

“Hello!” If the beings fur was snow, then their voice was the melted stream that flowed musical and cool. “My name is Toriel,” another concerned look, “and you are very hurt. I would suggest not moving much.” 

“I’m Alanna,” she said feeling anything but being polite and exchanging names. Thousands of questions fluttered around her head. “I fell through a hole in the mountain,” Alanna continued still feeling rather disconnected from the world around her. “Hi Toriel.” She added as an afterthought. 

“Alanna,” Toriel said her paws, which were the size of baseball gloves, carefully touching her injured leg, “that is a very pretty name. If you would allow it, I would like to heal your injuries.” 

“Heal them?” How in the world did Toriel intend to heal her? Alanna couldn’t see any bandages or even a small box with Toriel.  

“At least your leg,” Toriel nodded her fingers still lightly pressing at places on Alanna’s leg. The pressure was almost non-existent and any new pain faded into the inferno of protest that her body was throwing at her.  

“How?” 

A warm smile. It struck Alanna at how kind Toriel’s eyes seemed to be. “Magic. I suppose you would not run into much of that on the Surface. You must have heard stories of it.” 

“Magic.”

“Yes, perhaps a demonstration?” Toriel asked raising her eyebrows. Alanna nodded the smallest bit and Toriel grinned. She stood pulling her hands from Alanna’s injured leg and taking a few steps back. The whites of her eyes suddenly shifted into a void of black, the dark pink irises shining from the voids with a light of their own. Fire suddenly sprung up and engulfed her hands twisting and snapping at the air around it with vicious movements.  

Alanna, at the sudden shift from almost adorable to deadly, instinctively pushed herself back and further into the leaves. The wicked grin left Toriel’s face, and Alanna felt herself relax the smallest bit in response. 

“I did not mean to startle you.” She said her hands falling to her sides, still aflame. 

“You’re not using  _ that  _ to heal me?” Alanna said her eyes still locked on the flames. Toriel held her hand up and the fire flickered out as quickly as it had appeared in the first place.  

“No,” Toriel comforted her eyes still the strange black, “I would use this.” Where fire had once wrapped around her hands a green slow-moving aura flared to life twisting and shifting with a strangely soothing air. 

“That looks a bit less deadly.” Alanna said her eyes following the strangely mesmerizing energy. 

“Very much so,” Toriel laughed. She watched Alanna for a moment. “May I?” 

Toriel seemed kind. Her eyes kept flickering to Alanna’s injured leg, and with each look more tension built up around them. Alanna nodded slightly, hoping beyond hope that the woman in front of her was truly as kind as she seemed. 

Toriel smiled and brought her hand down to Alanna’s leg. The green spread away from her hand and crawled up Alanna’s body bringing with it a strange dimly felt warmth. It eased her pain the smallest bit, and Alanna went to thank Toriel, but the look on her face stopped her immediately. 

Toriel looked worried, and beyond that she looked extremely scared. Her eyes flared and the green flowed out of her hand more like a tidal wave. Alanna felt it wash over her a bit more vividly this time. The green pushed its way into her skin forcing the soothing warmth into her body. Toriel seemed to be panting with the effort. 

Alanna watched in amazement as a few of the shallower cuts sealed themselves underneath the strange green energy that clung to her skin and moved as if it were some sort of liquid. 

“Alanna,” Toriel said her voice made of tension, “I am going to look at something. I promise I shall not hurt you.” She soothed. Alanna nodded her consent. 

Toriel pulled her hands back the green flickering out. The green around Alanna’s body hung in the air for a moment before fading from existence. There was a moment where Toriel’s eyes met Alanna’s, and then the world suddenly flickered.

There was a strange feeling as if her body had suddenly become split. She felt a sudden pulse from the center of her chest, but at the same exact moment she was the thing that was pulsing. Almost all of her balled up into one small point. She was glowing, and from her body she could see it. 

It was almost as if she was in two places at once, but both were interconnected. She couldn’t move one without the other. In the very center of her chest there was a beacon of light….a heart shape. It was deep red in the center but as the color stretched towards the edges of the heart it lost hue until it became a bright silver. 

Floating in front of her, in lights that were dimmer than her heart, she saw her name spelled out along with a string of numbers and a small, mostly red, bar.

**ALANNA** **LVL 1** **HP:** **I** **III** **2/20**

Alanna blinked trying to get the hallucinations to go away like before. These words were stubborn, and were floating over four boxes that were a dark burnt orange color. 

**| FIGHT** **|** **| ACT |** **| ITEM |** **| MERCY |**

Past the floating lights Toriel stood a bright white heart shimmering in her chest. Toriel didn’t look as solid as Alanna. Where she seemed to fade the smallest bit at the edges Alanna realized that her own glowing heart was sitting in a small transparent window while the rest of her body remained solid. 

* **Toriel stands above you**

 

The floating word lights informed her, though she could see Toriel just fine. Toriel was staring at Alanna with a slightly open mouth. 

“I suppose I should explain to you what this is.” She said still staring at Alanna’s floating heart. “That,” she said nodding towards her chest, “is your Soul. That is the very essence of your being. Here in the Underground we Monsters fight using our souls and magic.” 

“My Soul…” Alanna said bringing her hands up to lightly touch her Soul. When her hands covered it they became transparent allowing her Soul to continue to shine. All around her body she felt a gentle pressure as if she were comforting herself. It was a strange experience. 

“You can do many things in order to get through a fight. My preferred method is to ACT.” She said with a small smile. There was a sadness behind her eyes that Alanna felt was still fresh. “I’m going to SPARE you.” She said after a minute of her staring at Alanna’s Soul. 

***Toriel is Sparing you!**

Alanna stared at the little phrase waiting for the strange glowing to stop, but nothing happened. She glanced at the floating options in front of her and very carefully pulled herself onto her hands and knees. She forced herself not to whimper when she shifted her leg, but from the frown from she received from Toriel she was sure that she had cried out anyway. She carefully stared at the words and then moved to touch the Mercy button. 

It shifted into another screen with the word Spare glowing in a bright yellow. Alanna shifted herself to touch the spare and the room faded back into its original colors. The glowing in her chest faded, and a strange feeling of lethargy washed over her. 

“If you would so allow, I have a house through the Ruins. Perhaps you could rest there until you regain your strength.” Toriel said kneeling next to Alanna. 

“I don’t think I can walk...” 

“Of course you cannot.” Toriel said her eyes slowly shifting back to normal….or at least what Alanna thought was normal. “With your permission I would carry you there.” 

“I don’t know what to think.” Alanna said feeling like lead was slowly creeping its way through her veins. “Why are you helping me?” 

“Why would I not? You are in pain,” Toriel said softly. “I help all who fall here.” Alanna must have lost a bit of time because the next thing she knew Toriel’s hands were underneath her body. She stood, keeping Alanna cradled carefully against her chest. She was warm, and her fur was extremely soft. It reminded Alanna of the carpet she had in her apartment, but that carpet was brown not white. 

“Others have fallen?” 

Toriel smiled, the world swaying and blurring beyond her face. “Yes, actually many have fallen down here.” Toriel then began to speak about the various humans who had fallen into the Underground. Alanna, exhausted, hardly understood what she was saying, but found she liked listening to the cadence of her voice. She reminded Alanna of her professors in college. She half dozed listening to the various tales. She was the second non-child to have fallen into the Underground. She caught that bit. 

“Frisk.” The name suddenly cut through the haze that had been blurring and softening the world around her. 

“Frisk?” The name rang a bell. Something half-forgotten pinging in her head. “I know that name….Frisk,” the word itself tasted familiar as if she had said it a million times before. 

“They fell down here the most recently…other than you of course.” Toriel said smiling down at Alanna. Her eyes were black and pink once more, and Alanna felt the smallest bit of shock at the change. She glanced down to herself and was amused to see green energy hanging over her skin like disturbed water. She glanced at her arms, and found that the cuts were still there. The purple dirt was still caked on her skin. Her shirt had ridden up the smallest bit and the cuts that marred her skin from her waist to her belly button were still just as red. 

“Oh!” Toriel said following her gaze. “Yes, I am attempting to heal your leg. Though I believe you are a special human indeed, Alanna.” Questions bubbled up in Alanna’s mind, but they disappeared before she could fully get a grasp on one. “You seem to be…adverse to magic.”

“What?”

“Magic does not act on you like it should. You should have been healed ten times over by now, but your body resists.” Toriel explained. “You are still very injured,” she said in response to the confusion on Alanna’s face, “and I think you may have hit your head during your fall. I am attempting to heal that as well. We may discuss these things when you are more aware of your surroundings.”

Another stretch of time passed, this time with Alanna trying very hard not to fall asleep. You weren’t supposed to fall asleep with a head injury, or at least that’s what all of the movies had told Alanna. “Here we are.” Toriel said sweeping her through a well-tended lawn with a large, leafless tree. The house was rather large, and looked like it belonged here surrounded by stone and grass. 

**File Saved.**

“Did you see that?” Alanna gasped looking at Toriel. “You must have seen that!” 

“Do not mind the Monsters lurking around my house,” Toriel comforted. “They know not to bother you here.”

“No,” Alanna went to protest, but then they were in the house. Toriel quickly turned to the right-hand side of the house and walked down to a door that warned the viewer of construction. She pushed the door open to reveal a very large bathroom that had a bathtub that would fit a Toriel-sized person….or Monster….or whatever. 

“I am going to set you down for a moment so that I may draw you a bath. It looks like you dragged yourself through the dirt.” She said placing her with her back against the wall. A quiet squeaking and the sound of water mixed with a warm humming that sounded very jazz-like.  Alanna glanced to her leg and felt her eyes widen in surprise. The swelling was gone, and while there was still pain it was nothing compared to what it had been. Maybe she wouldn't have to cut herself out of her jeans after all. 

“I couldn’t walk.” Alanna explained without real thought. “I was looking for a way out.”

“You all do.” Toriel said a measure of bitterness in her tone. Yet when she glanced towards Alanna there was nothing but affection. “How old are you, Alanna?”

“I’m 22. About to be 23.” Alanna knew she didn’t look her age. She couldn’t quite pin down what made her look so young. 

“Have you had a formal education?” Toriel asked pouring some green liquid into the bath she was making. 

“I have a Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast Journalism.” Alanna couldn’t help but smile at the surprised look that Toriel gave her. “Ummm….I graduated college.” She added in case Toriel didn’t understand. 

“How wonderful!” Another bottle seemingly pulled out of nowhere this time a light pink color that made the room instantly smell sweet. The actual smell of it seemed to shift and fluctuate through different sweet things like apples, candy, and vanilla. “How long were you in school?”

“Overall I’ve been in school since I was four, so about 18 years give or take.” 

“That’s a rather long time.” Toriel said the sound of the water finally cutting off. “Here, allow me to help you.” She said reaching towards the belt of Alanna’s pants. Alanna instantly went red and attempted to scramble back from Toriel’s hands.

“I’d rather that I did that,” she gasped feeling slightly out of breath. “I’m kinda weird with the whole people seeing me undressed thing…” Alanna’s face had flushed a deeper red as she attempted to explain. 

“Oh!” Toriel said a small blush of her own causing her cheeks to be tinted pink. Her fur was so white that the color simply seemed to bleed through it showing her embarrassment as well as Alanna’s own skin. “I am sorry! I only thought that it would be difficult for you to change seeing as your leg. If you will put your clothes outside of the door when you are finished?” Toriel did not wait for an answer and instead quickly left shutting the door gently behind her. 

Alanna sighed and took a moment to breathe in the sweet air of the already-steamy bathroom. Everything that had happened was a lot to take in. She shifted forwards trying her best to ignore the wave of pain from her leg, and untied her shoes pulling them off in a mechanical manner.

“So,” Alanna whispered to herself still hunched over her own legs, “I fell down a hole in a mountain.” She reached down to one sock which was a bright orange and slowly peeled it away from her foot. “A mountain that every single person I’ve met told me not to go to.” On to the next sock Alanna peeled back the bright blue sock and wiggled her toes in the freedom. She leaned back taking a small amount of strength from the solidity of the wall against her back. “Not only were they right,” Alanna began to undo her belt, “but they were also right about the Monsters that lurked underneath.” 

After a bit of a struggling Alanna managed to peel her pants away from her legs. Panting from the effort she leaned back again closing her eyes and feeling slightly dizzy. “Not that they were right about everything.” She breathed her words hardly stirring the air. Another struggle, this one smaller than the last. “The Monsters don’t seem awful…or at least Toriel doesn’t. I wonder where the other Monsters are….” 

Within a few minutes Alanna had deposited her clothes outside of the door and was soaking in the sweet scented water. The warmth soaked into her bones. After scrubbing away the purple dirt that had been caked onto her skin she simply let herself float in the water, feeling better in the water than she did out of it. 


	3. 72 Uses for Snails

Sometime later Alanna realized that the warm bath had become almost cool, and she carefully pulled herself out of the tub excited that she could put the smallest amount of weight onto her leg. Her head felt clearer and the cuts that decorated the top half of her body looked a bit less angry than they had before. A large neatly folded towel was sitting on the top of the toilet, and like most of the things in the house, it was much larger than Alanna needed. She was surprised to find that in place of her soiled clothes was a pretty light blue dress. It was much bigger than Alanna needed, but she felt it was very small for Toriel. Maybe one of her old dresses from her youth. Her shoes, now clean, were sitting next to them.

After changing she limped through the house until she came into a living room type area where a large cushy chair sat in front of a low burning fire. Alanna climbed into the chair careful not to tweak her leg or unbalance a brown book that sat on the arm. Curiously she took the book into her lap.

“72 Uses for Snails.” Alanna read aloud finding the mere concept of the book to be amusing. By the time that Toriel came rushing back into the house Alanna had reached the chapter that was explaining in vivid detail how snails could be used for royal purple ink. 

“Hello!” Toriel said laying a few bags on the table across the room. “I am sorry that I took so long.” She said fussing with one of the bags. “Cinnamon or Butterscotch, which do you prefer?” She asked glancing up with a smile. 

“Cinnamon,” Alanna answered shutting the book and placing in back where she had first found it. 

“You do not dislike Butterscotch, do you?” Alanna shook her head and Toriel smiled even wider. “Here, you should eat this,” Toriel added walking over and pressing a small loaf of bread into her hands. “Unless you ate before you fell.” 

Alanna instantly felt shame color her cheeks. She had the bad habit of not eating much. It was due to a weak hunger reflex and it had plagued her all of her life. She often forgot to eat, even when her parents were shoving food at her. Ever since she had been living alone she had taken to eating less and less and the results were beginning to show.

“Thank you, Toriel.” Alanna said taking a small bite out of the loaf of bread. It was still slightly warm in the very center and it tasted slightly of butter. Toriel smiled at her and went past her into a room that was behind her chair. Alanna nibbled on the bread while bringing the book back onto her lap. 

“Excuse me,” Toriel’s voice broke through Alanna’s concentration on the book. “Earlier you said that you knew the name Frisk…”

Alanna nodded setting the book aside. 

“Did you perhaps know Frisk?”

“No, but I heard of Frisk.” Alanna feeling her heart drop with the mention of the name. It was a story she had heard of when she first moved in, at the time it was a very big deal but as time went on the tale died down. 

“What do you know of the child?”

Toriel looked sad which was jarring against the sweet smell that was beginning to waft from behind her. “All I really know is that the kid went missing from a local orphanage. They called off the search about a month ago. Authorities think they’re dead.”

“An orphanage?” Toriel spoke quietly as if she were speaking to herself. “Pardon me for a moment.”

Toriel quickly left the room, and Alanna felt strangely bad for the monster. If Frisk wasn’t here, then they had to be out and away from the Ruins.  She carefully got out of the large chair and put weight on her leg. There was a deep soreness, but other than that she could use her leg. 

She padded into the kitchen her eyes instantly finding Toriel hunched over the sink. 

“Toriel?” Alanna asked pausing in the kitchen doorway not sure what to do. 

“Ah, I was only baking.” She said without turning towards Alanna. Alanna knew that this did not bode well. Even with what little Alanna knew of Toriel she knew that she was acting strange. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Frisk,” Toriel said softly, “when they fell here into the Underground they stayed with me. They asked to call me mother. I didn’t realize…” Toriel took a steadying breath. “Frisk left to brave the rest of the Underground so that they could go back to the Surface. I told the child not to come back here.” Toriel turned to look at Alanna and the sheer regret broke her heart. Alanna wanted to reach out and comfort her, but she had a feeling the comfort of a stranger was not welcomed. “The child called me only once…..I didn’t answer.” Tears began to flow. Alanna felt alarmed, unsure of what to do. “And then that dog….”

“Toriel,” Alanna began.

“Oh! You must be exhausted!” Toriel exclaimed through her tears. “Here,” She said brushing past Alanna but somehow catching her hand as she did so. She guided Alanna through the house her large soft hand firm in Alanna’s own. 

“But,” Alanna began, but Toriel was not having it.

“Please,” she asked pushing open a door into a child-like room, “sleep will do you good now. We may speak after you’ve rested.” She promised helping her into the small bed. Seeing as Alanna was only about 5’6 the bed fit her pretty well. 

“You don’t have to mother me,” Alanna began to protest.

“If I do not, who will?” Toriel really did feel like a great mothering force. Alanna wondered exactly why she was so easily hushed by the great motherly figure. She guided with such a gentle but steady force. Toriel was so warm in her personality it made it hard to doubt her genuine concern. 

Alanna hated that as soon as Toriel tucked her into the bed she felt herself quickly losing consciousness. She supposed she didn’t know exactly how long she crawled along the dirt covered floor of the Ruins. Thinking back time felt fractured. Pain and panic were overwhelming. 

Before Alanna knew it, her mind had wandered, and Toriel lightly touched her cheek her paws soft and warm. Darkness rose and Alanna had nowhere near the power to fight it.


	4. Nowhere to Go but Foward

Alanna woke with the room drenched in twilight. The covers which Toriel had carefully tucked around her were now tangled about her legs. Alanna fought the covers off and carefully padded out of the room. Her leg still gave her some trouble, but it was incredible how quickly Toriel had helped heal her. The house was silent, a fire still gently crackling in the fireplace. Alanna wondered briefly if the fire was dangerous, but seeming to sense her presence it grew a bit brighter, she could feel the heat from where she stood. 

A large pie, much bigger than Alanna could ever eat, was sitting in the kitchen. The air held its sweet scent. Alanna turned away from the pie heading back into the other wing of the house. Toriel’s door was cracked the smallest bit open. She could see her breathing slowly, tucked into her own bed. Alanna crept past heading back towards the bathroom, but paused when she saw a large mirror at the end of the hall.

She crept towards it almost afraid of what she would see. It was Alanna. The first thing people would notice about her was the huge and untamed mane of red hair. Because of the excitement the previous day her hair was matted and clumped together. Her pale skin was interrupted by a galaxy of freckles, and her golden eyes rimmed with dark lashes still looked exhausted. The bags under her eyes were a pronounced purple and there were a few small cuts that decorated her face. The most noticeable being across her right cheek. 

Alanna reached up and touched the spot, not realizing that she even had cuts on her face. The cut was sore but nothing compared to the rest of her body. The cuts on her arms and her stomach were rather touchy. They didn’t seem infected but they certainly weren’t gone. Neither was the pain in her leg. Her hair was a lost cause without a brush.

She stepped away from the mirror and headed back into the living room, feeling restless. The fire greeted her with increased warmth and she tucked herself back into the large soft chair. The fire crackled, and Alanna wondered briefly if it was attempting to speak to her. 

It was possible…she did fall down a hole into a mountain where magic and monsters were real. At this point Alanna felt as if she had rolled a crit 1 in this strange fantasy quest she had been thrust into. 

The strange twilight in the house caught Alanna by surprise. She couldn’t quite understand where the light came from in the Underground, but whatever light there was had been muted. It felt like it was in the middle of the night. Alanna wondered if she had been noticed missing yet. She had a few days of vacation before needing to go back to work, and her parents rarely contacted her. At least Toriel found her, she would have most certainly died in one way or another.

Very slowly the darkness began to lift. Alanna curled further into herself and let her mind drift. She wondered how the small orphan child Frisk had survived the fall. 

“Alanna?” Toriel’s voice broke her from the slight doze that she had been drifting in and out of. 

“Good morning,” Alanna said turning to see Toriel standing in front of her looking slightly worried. Alanna wondered if she was always so worried. “Sorry I stole your seat.” She said sliding out of the chair. Her leg ached horribly but she found she could bear it. Toriel seemed to be the slightest bit relieved that she stood so quickly.

“I attempted to fix your clothing,” Toriel said holding out a small bundle. “Your pants were almost beyond saving. But I think I patched them sufficiently.”

“Oh thank god!” Alanna gasped taking her clothes back. “No offense,” she said quickly, “it’s just I really missed having a bra and panties. I’m not one to go commando.” She felt that there was no salvaging the situation but her mouth kept running. A bad habit of hers. “And I usually don’t wear dresses so I keep tripping on it…I mean….thank you.”

“You are quite welcome, child.” Toriel beamed. 

“Toriel, how long has it been since Frisk left here?” The smile fell away from Toriel’s face. It was strange to see the instant worry and sadness. 

“A few months. The child stayed with me for about a month before they left.” She answered after a moment. 

“You worry about them a lot don’t you?”

Toriel watched Alanna for a moment, and then her face broke. Large tears rolling down her face. “Every day,” she admitted, “the Monsters beyond the Ruins….they….no.” There was a sudden anger. “Asgore will kill the child. They are most likely dead. I have tried so many times to save you humans, but there is no stopping your kind.”

“Have you tried to contact them?”

Toriel’s face scrunched up angrily. “That…. _ annoying _ dog took my phone! I no longer have Frisk’s number. I tried to get them to stop…”

“Yeah, we’re a determined lot.” Alanna said reaching and lightly touching her shoulder. “Once we set our mind to something it’s hard to dissuade us.”

“I assume you will leave too.” 

Alanna looked to Toriel and found her heart aching for her. Alanna did not make friends easily. She needed people, but only those already close to her. All the time she had spent in Ebott and she only had a few acquaintances. She had been so lonely, and she felt drawn to Toriel in a way that was beyond her. She wanted to help her. Alanna wasn’t sure why.

“I can go look for Frisk,” Alanna said softly, “or I can stay here for a while until I’m fully healed. But if I’m going to look for Frisk, sooner is probably better.” 

Toriel watched her a shocked expression on her face. There was a strange moment of breathlessness. “You would do this for me?”

“It’s the least I can do.”

“It could mean your death.” Her pink eyes bore into Alanna. 

“Yeah….”

“Are you not afraid of dying?”

Alanna paused. She was unsure of how to express her thoughts. “It’s not that I’m fearless when it comes to death….but…I was facing it earlier when I fell down here. I’ll face it again even if I’m suddenly put back on the Surface. I’ll have to get out eventually, and it seems the only way out is forward.”

“You do not even know how to fight.”

“I thought you preferred to act.”

“Alanna,” Toriel said her voice dead serious, “if you are to do this I will teach you to fight. Follow me outside.” 

“Um….dress?” She asked touching the fabric.

“Your dress will work. We do not want to dirty your clothes too early.” Toriel said already heading outside. Alanna sighed and placed her clothes onto the chair. 

Alanna followed Toriel, wondering what exactly she had in mind. Toriel had advocated acting instead of fighting.

The light had picked back up outside, and Alanna glanced back to the house. The yard was so tidy and the house so natural looking within its cavern that Alanna felt a surge of determination to help Toriel. 

**Game Saved.** Another two note run. 

“Alanna,” Toriel began turning towards the small red-head.

“Toriel,” Alanna replied gritting her teeth in preparation. She knew that in order to fight it would make her soul glow again. 

“Brace yourself.” 


	5. Fight!

“Brace yourself.” 

There was a sudden wrenching of her gut, and Alanna felt her consciousness split into two once more. Her heart shined out of her chest, and the burnt orange commands floated in a semi-circle around Alanna. 

***Toriel confronts you!**

“Monsters have magic, and we can use this magic to either help or harm.” Toriel’s eyes bled into black. The pink glowed back at her with a righteous glory. 

**ALANNA** **LVL 1** **HP:** **II** **II** **10/20**

Alanna glanced to her health surprised to see that it had risen. It reflected about how she felt. It was her turn; she could feel in her bones. It was as if the entire area was holding its breath. Faintly as if she were more imagining it than actually hearing it, she heard music. It seemed to pound along with her heart. 

Alanna reached out and touched the act button, and more commands popped up. She could  **check** Toriel or  **talk** to her. 

“You don’t want to hurt me,” Alanna said choosing to talk to her. “You want me to find Frisk.”

“You’re right,” Toriel confirmed. Alanna felt the turn slip away from her and the options seemed to retreat away from her. Toriel narrowed her eyes and threw out her hand. A sudden flurry of fireballs roared at Alanna. 

She screamed, and tried to dodge out of the way of the onslaught. She automatically dipped and dived through the attack, not realizing until the terror was over that she was now floating above Toriel, rather easily actually. 

"Toriel, I’m flying.” Alanna’s voice did not nearly show the wonder and horror she felt at the moment. Her heart, silver and red, was pulsing in her chest. She knew instantly that this was what was allowing her to fly. Her soul didn’t have limitations like her body. Of course she could fly in combat.

“Yes, and you did well!” Toriel said clapping her hands together happily. “But, we need to figure out what your special move is.”

“My special move?” Alanna hadn’t realized but the options had risen to float around her again. It was her turn. “Toriel, I can dodge attacks that’s all we need.” She tried to talk her out of the fight. Alanna could see her words take effect. She looked unsure.

***Toriel’s ATK fell!**

“Oh my dear,” Toriel said eyes bright, “you will do well. But, we must understand your special power. It may help you. Search yourself, maybe you’ll understand it. That is how I learned of my magic.” She did not hesitate. A rain of fire. An inferno. 

Alanna moved in and out of the strange streams of fire attempting to do as Toriel instructed. And…. _ there _ . Alanna could feel something….what it was she wasn’t certain. Deciding to try she focused in on the feeling. There was a moment of floundering and then she felt it. She swung out her hand just as a large fireball was ready to slam into her.

Toriel cried out in fear. 

Alanna pushed and with that push a rippling ball made of silver light bloomed around her rising to meet the fireball. She could feel the explosion in a strange detached sort of way. Like how one could feel the ghost of a person’s touch when they held their fingers just above the skin. 

Alanna looked up surprised to see the bright silver rippling mass. It felt solid but looked like lace made of silver light. It rippled about two feet around her in all directions holding her in a brightly shining ball. Another fireball hit her shield and she felt it stutter under her control. A third and she felt the bubble give way to the inferno. It collapsed back into her soul, but Alanna was ready. She attempted to dodge the remaining fireballs and only got skimmed by one once. The fireball that skimmed across her arm left an angry red streak behind but other than that she was fine.  

She felt the attack end and she let herself lower to the ground. Toriel stared at her in shock. Alanna echoed her sentiment. When she was doing the strange lightshow it felt as natural as the flying she had done before, but now that she was standing firmly on the ground the act she just performed hit her.

“What the hell just happened?” She gasped looking at her hands. There was a small pang of regret for using even slightly bad language around Toriel, but it wasn’t large enough for her to care about right now. 

“Your special move, it seems.” Toriel answered. 

“Do all humans have a special move?” She asked looking into her eyes. Toriel, in that moment, seemed ancient. 

“In a way, yes,” Toriel said her eyes fading back to normal. Her name has shifted to a bright yellow in the act menu. Alanna confused attempted to talk to her.

“What do you mean in a way?” The turn shifted, but no attack came. It simply moved back to her after a moment. 

“You must spare me.” Toriel explained. “When a monsters name shifts to yellow, you can spare them if you choose to do so.” 

Alanna reached out to the  **mercy** option seeing that the  **spare** option was also yellow. She lightly touched it and felt her soul and body come back together into one whole being. It was a strangely calming feeling. 

***You spared Toriel. You receive 0 EXP and 0 gold.**

“Back when Monsters and Humans lived together on the Surface there were many humans who had special abilities during battle. I knew of one human who could phase their body through attacks. They were quite the fighter,” Toriel said walking up to Alanna her eyes searching the small red-head. 

“I never would have guessed that was possible.”

“Your ability, however, is not the same as the other humans….” She continued locking gazes with Alanna.  “Some humans had a mastery over death, being able to fully heal themselves at the last moment before they died. Some could use speed to strike much faster and harder than a monster could. Most humans used a force called Determination to achieve these feats. What you just used, however, was magic. Now there were humans who could use magic, we called them Wizards, and in fact Wizards are the reason that we are trapped in the Underground.”

“Please don’t say ‘yer a wizard Harry’.” Alanna said taking a step back. That would be too much in this moment. Alanna was not a wizard. She knew this to be a fact. She never had strange things happen around her, and she never saw her mother or father doing wizardly things. They were mundane if not for their wanderlust. 

“Why would I call you…Harry?” Toriel asked looking confused. 

“Nevermind that, are you calling me a wizard?” She asked eyes wide.

“Well…” Toriel said looking down in thought, “not quite. While humans who possess magic are called wizards their brand of magic is very distinct. From what I saw….and….fought….against.” She forced the last few words out as if it burned her to say. “Their hearts were always one color, and their magic matched their soul color. Human souls that I’ve seen have never had the strange silver yours contains.” 

“It looks like I cast out a net of like mercury or something.” Alanna said recalling the strange twisting and moving bubble she had conjured. 

“Yes, your magic is almost reminiscent of Monster magic I’ve seen once before.” She said reaching out to lightly take Alanna’s hand. “Which could mean, that back in time an ancestor may have been in love with a monster. Of course this is only speculation, it may just be a rare form of magic.” There was a moment of pause. “I would ask you not to use that ability unless it is absolutely necessary. Your strange soul color will draw you enough attention as it is.”

“I don’t want attention like that I’m guessing.” Alanna said taking comfort from the soft warmth of Toriel’s hand. 

“No, you do not.” Toriel chuckled drawing her back towards the house. 

“My soul color is strange?” Alanna asked realizing Toriel’s earlier statement. 

“Yes, humans normally have a solidly colored soul,” she explained as they entered the house, “but yours isn’t like that. In fact, your soul seems mainly Determination-based in the center but as it spread out it looks more and more like a monster soul.”

“Your soul is white though.” 

Toriel sat Alanna down in the large chair and went towards the bedroom section of her house. A few seconds later she came back out with a bandage and a small jar. 

“Yes, my soul is white. But, there are certain monsters that have silver souls.” She said smearing the cream onto Alanna’s newest injury. The cream stung, but Alanna had gone through much worse a day ago. “There was one in particular, back when we were on the Surface. He was very human-looking, for a monster, but his skin showed spiraling patterns of light and his eyes were a glowing…”

Toriel fell silent as she stared into Alanna’s eyes. 

“He disappeared, long before the war with the humans. Many thought he went his own way to explore the world….” She sat up, finishing bandaging her arm. Toriel suddenly smiled, rather fondly, at Alanna. “One moment, child.” She said heading back towards the bedrooms. 

Alanna took her clothes into her arms, rather happy that she didn’t wear them for the battle. From her fight with Toriel there were singed pieces of the dress from multiple close calls. She came back holding three new things. One was a rather long coat with a strange ever shifting fur lining on the inside. The outside shifted as well, almost trying to blend into the surrounding area. The second was a small necklace that had the strange symbol that Toriel always wore. The last was a pair of gloves made of some sort of black leather. 

“Here, you’ll need these for your journey….and perhaps a bag….” Toriel said looking thoughtful. “Here, change into these,” she added handing her the items, “and I’ll pack your bag for you.” 

“So ready to get rid of me,” Alanna mumbled to herself as she headed back to the room she slept in. She pulled the dress off, and quickly pulled on her bra and panties happy to feel some sort of support again. Her pants had been spectacularly repaired, and she was immensely happy to see that her t-shirt was largely unharmed. It was a rather plain shirt, mostly black with a band name scrawled across her chest in thin looping lettering. 

Alanna watched the necklace for a moment and then she carefully clasped it around her neck, watching as it fell just below the hollow in her throat. A little bit of movement and her shirt swallowed it whole. The gloves went on after that. She pulled on the large coat on last, surprised at how soft it was. When she first began to pull it on it had seemed way too large, but by the time she settled it around her it was a perfect fit. She doubted she ever had a piece of clothing fit her so well before. It even had pockets!

Alanna carefully pulled on her shoes which she had left in the room when she first changed into her dress. The result was a rather refreshed feeling Alanna, though she still had plenty of healing cuts and a leg that protested her moving, she was simply excited to still be alive. 

Alanna walked out of the room and found Toriel placing the last few items into her bag. Once again she could almost hear a gentle and happy song that represented this house…that represented Toriel. It was calming, and extremely upsetting. Alanna realized she didn’t want to leave quite yet, but she knew if she didn’t her chances at finding Frisk would diminish. 

“I added a few extra things for you,” Toriel said holding out the backpack. Alanna took it and put it on, feeling vivid flashbacks from her college days. Toriel took her hand and they made their way down the set of stairs that she had never really thought about before this moment. They followed a long purple hall until they came to a large door with the same symbol as her new necklace. 

“Alanna,” Toriel turned to her letting go of her hand, “be careful, will you not? I wish you luck on your journey.” She said taking Alanna’s face in-between her hands. She leaned forwards and lightly kissed Alanna’s forehead, and with it came a sudden peace. “Be good.” She added before stepping away and pushing the large door open.  Beyond it was what looked like a gently sloping ramp in the same purples that the Ruins constantly held. 


	6. Snow in the Underground

Alanna glanced to Toriel, and then began her slow walk up the slope. The door ground to a close behind her, and Alanna felt once again alone. It was a brief moment of companionship, but it was the only one Alanna had since college. Her leg complained, but she ignored it and continued up the long path, the light becoming less and less purple as she moved along. The air, she noticed, was also becoming colder.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Alanna asked herself after a few minutes of trekking. “I’m taking on a Monster city in order to save a single kid, all because I fell through a hole into Wonderland.” She huffed her breath becoming visible in the air. There was a brighter light at the end of the strange sloping tunnel, and Alanna picked up the pace slightly. 

She exited a strange looking door that held the symbol of Toriel, and instantly stepped into snow. 

“No way,” she said reaching down to let her fingers trail through the powder, “how does it snow underground?” Alanna pulled her fingers away from the snow, already feeling the cold through her gloves, and she began to slowly walk through the strange new land. 

Large trees lined the small path she followed crowding in close and allowing no sight of what might lay beyond them. A rather large stick, snapped in half, lay across the pathway. Alanna carefully stepped over it and found herself kicking up the snow, almost dancing as she moved along in spite of her leg. 

She should be frightened of this entire place. She should be cowering as she walked, looking around for possible danger, but instead she was half-dancing through the landscape. She came across a small footbridge that seemed to span a pit to nowhere. There was a strange….gate….type thing that crossed it set into the sides of the pit. She moved through the gate, letting herself reach out and touch one of the tree trunk sized slats. 

For a moment Alanna felt eyes on her. She twisted around, but all she seemed to see was a single yellow flower, braving the snow. It was a strange sight to be sure, but maybe the flowers down here adapted to bloom in snow. Stranger things had already happened. 

She continued on, and froze when she saw a large skeleton messing with what looked like a sentry station. The skeleton was huge, much larger than anyone she had ever met. For a moment she felt nothing but sheer fear, and then the skeleton….laughed.

“ NYEH HEH HEH !”  It was surprisingly loud. The skeleton’s voice reminded her very much of Skeletor actually. That couldn’t be a nice comparison. Alanna instantly attempted to scold herself. 

There were a few moments of him rummaging around and then he stood straight again his hands going to rest on his hipbones with a huff. He was a very well-dressed skeleton. He wore a white puffy shirt that had a few red lines on the right breast and had yellow trim at the arms and torso, a long and very red scarf that matched his very red gloves and boots. He wore what looked to be very short shorts that were blue with the yellow trim. Overall it was a rather nice look for him.

Of course that was when he saw her. Alanna had been so busy staring at the skeleton that she hadn’t moved into a more hidden area. 

“ OH MY GOD ,” the skeleton said looking shocked. “ ARE YOU….ARE YOU A HUMAN ?” He asked taking a few steps forwards. Alanna instantly took a few steps back.  

“Yes, I’m a human.” She said softly expecting the gut wrenching pull at any second. Toriel had said that they would go after her. That they would either kill her or take her to Asgore. 

A look of wonder shifted over the skeletons face, and his eye sockets sparkled.  “ WOWIE! ”  He said instantly causing Alanna to smile slightly. Shouldn’t she be afraid?  “ ANOTHER HUMAN! YOU’RE MUCH BIGGER THAN THE HUMAN I KNOW !”

He moved towards her coming to a stop about a foot or two away from her. He seemed to be picking up on the slight fear that Alanna was radiating. 

“ OH , ” he said pausing for a moment, “ THE HUMAN TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF FIRST. HELLO, OTHER HUMAN, ‘TIS I THE GREAT PAPYRUS! AT YOUR SERVICE , ” he added in a softer tone with a tiny grin. 

“My name is Alanna, and it is really nice to meet you, Papyrus.” She ventured holding out her hand to the skeleton. He shook it…..vigorously.  The gloves were rather soft, and she could feel his hand underneath. He was also rather warm. Warmer than she was, at least. 

“ DID YOU FALL DOWN HERE TOO ? ” He asked kneeling the smallest bit so that she could see his face better. Even kneeling he was a bit taller than her. 

“Wait…you met Frisk?” Alanna asked realizing what his words meant. 

“ YOU KNOW THE HUMAN TOO ?!? ” He seemed overjoyed. 

“I know of them, but I don’t really know them.” Alanna clarified. 

“ OH ,” that seemed to deflate him a bit, “ THAT IS OKAY. I’M SURE THE HUMAN WOULD LIKE ANOTHER HUMAN’S COMPANY! AND YOU COULD MEET MY BROTHER, SANS. YOU COULD MEET UNDYINE !” Papyrus said growing more excited with every word. “ THEN MAYBE WE COULD BE FRIENDS .” 

“Friends?” Alanna paused looking into his face. Even being a skeleton he showed more emotion than a lot of the humans that Alanna knew. He seemed to be sparkling with hope at the idea of being her friend. It was adorable. “If I’m being honest, I don’t have many friends right now.”

“ WHY ?” 

“I only recently came to this town….or at least….that town.” Alanna said pointing in a vague upwards motion. “So I don’t really know that many people.”

“ IF YOU WANT, YOU COULD GET TO KNOW ME .” Papyrus’ tone was softer this time. Almost gentle. “ IT’S A LONG WALK TO MY HOUSE .”

“You don’t want to take my soul?” She asked her hands going to touch her chest. 

“ OH DEAR , ” he said looking absolutely wrecked by her question, “ ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME? I ASSURE YOU THAT I WILL NOT TAKE YOUR SOUL .” 

“Okay, I guess I can go with you. I don’t really have anywhere else to go.” She said and then when she realized she sounded slightly rude she quickly added, “I would love to get to know you.”

“ WONDERFUL ! ” He said standing straight again. “ MY HOUSE IS THIS WAY .” 


	7. Scenic My House

The two of them walked in silence for a while, Alanna taking in the scenery around her, and Papyrus taking in Alanna. They passed another guard station, and then another, but no one came to stop them.

“ EXCUSE ME, HUMAN .” Papyrus said breaking the silence between them. “ DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? FOR ME? ”

“Oh,” Alanna instantly began wracking her brain. She wasn’t very good at this type of stuff. “What’s your favorite color?” She asked already cringing at the question.  _ That _ was the best she could come up with? 

“ MY FAVORITE COLOR IS RED, MUCH LIKE YOUR HAIR! MY FRIEND UNDYINE HAS HAIR JUST LIKE YOURS! ” Papyrus said happily. “ SHE’S THE CAPTIAN OF THE ROYAL GUARD . ” He continued easily. “ WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR HUMAN? ”

“My favorite color is blue,” she said quickly, “but a really dark blue. Like the sea on a stormy day.” She added. 

“ WHAT IS THE SEA ? ” 

Alanna stopped in her tracks staring in shock at the skeleton. “You don’t know what the sea is?” He shook his head, stopping as well. “It’s…..this really big stretch of water. Like, so big that when you stand on the shore, where the water meets the land, you can’t see the end of it. It seems like it expands forever even if it really doesn’t. It always moves and it smells like water, salt, and wind. There’s almost always wind near the water.” She tried to explain. Papyrus looked riveted. 

“’ WOWIE .” He began to walk again, and Alanna realized that her leg was beginning to hurt more and more. It seemed the cold and the movement wasn’t doing it any good. 

“ DO YOU LIKE PUZZLES ? ” Papyrus asked out of the blue. 

Alanna nodded. “One of my favorite video games is Portal 2, it’s all about solving puzzles. Do you like to read?”

“ MY BROTHER READS ME A BEDTIME STORY EVERY NIGHT .” Papyrus said nodding. “ DO YOU LIKE SPAGHETTI ?” 

“I love Italian food!” Alanna said smiling widely. 

“ THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL COOK SOME FOR YOU ! ” 

“You can cook?” Alanna asked trying to keep up with his stride. “I bake more than I cook. Maybe someday I can make some for you.”

“ ARE YOU INJURED ? ” Papyrus stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes fixed on her hurt leg. Actually the more he looked at her the more he seemed to realize the various cuts and bandages she had on.  

“Yeah, I got hurt falling down here.”

“ I  AM SORRY I DID NOT REALIZE SOONER! DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WALKING ? ” There was a nervous energy about him now, like he couldn’t stand to see her limping along. 

“It’s not too bad.” She said waving his worry away. “It was a lot worse earlier.” She said looking to her leg as well. She was pretty happy that the coat she had on covered her arms fully, she supposed he would really freak out about the long and ragged looking scratches there. 

“ OKAY , ” he said softly not looking very reassured. Well….as softly as he could. “ OH, DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SPEAK WITH YOUR HANDS ? ” He had taken to walking very slowly, his strides shorter. He kept glancing to her hurt leg as she limped along. Alanna attempted to limp less, but it hurt more that way. 

“Speak with my hands….do you mean sign language?” 

“ YES, THAT IS WHAT I MEAN .”

“Yeah, my aunt is deaf.” She said with a small smile. “When I was little I used to spend hours figuring out how to speak to her. I haven’t been able to see her in a while but I can still sign.”

“ GOOD , ” Papyrus looked extremely happy. “ THE HUMAN USES HANDS TO SPEAK .”

Alanna nodded slightly confused. In all of the information she had heard about Frisk, it had never said that they were deaf. Out of the corner of her eye, Alanna saw a strange snowflake looking creature watching them as they walked past. The more she paid attention the more she began to notice different creatures watching them. One had a rather beautifully crafted hat made of ice. She found it slightly difficult to look away, but Papyrus snapped her out of it.

“ YOU’RE FROM THE SURFACE ,” he stated glancing at her, “ WHAT IS IT LIKE ? ” 

“Well, it’s very open compared to this. There isn’t a ceiling constantly overhead. Sometimes it doesn’t feel very big, because we get used to the little piece of land that we stay on. But really it’s so much bigger than we realize.” She said not sure where to start. 

As the two of them walked she tried to explain how utterly vast the outside world was. They came across a few puzzles which Papyrus quickly solved. Her limping had gotten significantly worse, and by the time they came across a snug, if not frozen, little town Papyrus had taken most of her weight as she struggled along. 

The few monsters that were outside looked on her in shock. There was one particular monster, who wore a straw hat and looked for all accounts like a human-like bunny who had just exited a small little shop paused, fear crossing her fuzzy face, before quickly darting back into the shop.

“ DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN ,” Papyrus soothed as best he could, “ THEY HAVE NOTHING AGAINST YOU. IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT WE SEE A SINGLE HUMAN, LET ALONE TWO AT THE SAME TIME . ”

Alanna nodded, already feeling exhausted. The cold had irritated her wounds to the point that she was ready to sit where she was and not move for the next century or so.  About a minute of walking and Papyrus was guiding her towards a cozy looking house. 

“ HUMAN! I HAVE RETURNED, AND I HAVE BROUGHT SOMEONE WITH ME !” He bellowed as he ushered Alanna into the house. There was a wash of warmth and the sound of feet moving very quickly down stairs. 

Alanna knew this face. Soulful brown eyes watched her with a guarded air. Frisk outdid their picture any day. The kid was just about to hit their long and gangly phase. They had flawless skin and hair that hung board straight in a bob haircut. The kid looked wise way beyond their years. No picture could truly convey that. 

After a few seconds of staring on both parts Frisk slightly waved their striped sweater flopping to cover their hand as they made the motion. Alanna smiled and waved back tiredly.

“I’m Alanna.” She said softly.

Frisk pushed their sleeves up and began to quickly sign, their eyes going to Papyrus. “ _My name is Frisk_ **,”** they signed.

Alanna could help but smile. “Nice to meet you, Frisk.” She said and gestured at the same time. Frisk’s eyes went wide. 

_ “You know sign language?” _ Frisk asked taking the smallest step towards her. 

“Yeah,” Alanna said back, “my aunt is deaf, and she taught me. Do you prefer me talking, or signing….or both?”

Frisk watched her for a moment. “ _ Both. _ ” 

“I can do that.” Alanna swayed slightly, grimacing as the motion put a strain on her leg. 

_ “You’re hurt!” _ Frisk signed rapidly taking a few steps toward Alanna. “ _ You need to sit! Come on, the couch is nice and soft. _ ” Frisk said before taking her hand and slowly leading her to the couch. 

“You’re just as bad as Toriel, she must have rubbed off on you.”

Frisk made a soft sound of surprise. “ _ You met Mom.”  _

“Yeah….she found me after I fell.” Alanna said settling into the couch her backpack near her feet. 

“ HERE HUMAN, ALLOW ME TO TAKE YOUR COAT !”  Papyrus said holding his hands out for the now damp article of clothing. She carefully peeled it off, and was greeted by two similar gasps. 

“ HUMAN YOU ARE HURT WORSE THAN I THOUGHT .” His gaze was locked onto the still angry cuts that decorated her arms and palms. 

“Like I said,” Alanna said still signing for Frisk’s comfort, “I fell.”

Frisk quickly got Papyrus’ attention. “ _ Maybe she’ll feel better if you make some sphagetti!” _ At their words Papyrus beamed. 

“ OF COURSE ,” he boomed, “ I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL MAKE THE ALANNA HUMAN SOME OF MY FAMOUS SPHAGETTI! AND AFTER YOU MAY REST IN MY BED TO REGAIN YOUR STRENGTH !”

“You don’t have to,” Alanna said, “I don’t want to overstay. Your hospitality is appreciated, but I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”

“ HUMAN ALANNA ,” Papyrus looked deeply into her eyes, “ WE ARE NOW FRIENDS. AND AS YOUR FRIEND IT IS MY DUTY TO TAKE CARE OF YOU .” He took her jacket and walked away going to hang it behind the door. He then quickly moved into the kitchen going to work. For a moment Alanna could swear she could hear a bouncing and upbeat song. The song seemed to personify Papyrus, and then her concentration was broken when Frisk lightly tugged on her sleeve. 

Frisk had a very serious look on their face, eyes drilling into Alanna’s own. “ _ Alanna, do you know how to Save?” _

Alanna began to speak but Frisk quickly shook their head. This wasn’t something Papyrus was supposed to hear then…

“ _ You mean the floating words?”  _ Alanna signed back. Frisk nodded gravely. 

“ _Did you see the shimmery points that marked them?”_ Frisk stared her down. For the barest moment she could almost see something shifting behind their eyes. Something malevolent was staring back. A great  NYEH HEH HEH from the kitchen made Alanna lose concentration, and the strange feeling disappeared with it. 

“ _ No,” _ Alanna signed, “ _ are there supposed to be?” _

_ “For me there are. Those points also heal me to full HP.” _

Alanna finally understood what Frisk was attempting to do. She smiled warmly at the kid. They couldn’t be more than 11 or 12 years old, but they were already attempting to help. 

_ “Thank you, but I don’t think those work for me. Toriel could hardly heal the cuts on my arms.” _ That news seemed to shock Frisk, she could see in their eyes that they had seen firsthand how potent Toriel’s magic was. 

“ WHY DON’T YOU TWO WATCH THE TELEVISION WHILE I COOK ?”  Papyrus called from the kitchen. 

Frisk nodded and fished around until they found the remote. Conversation apparently over for the time being. Frisk clicked the television on and smiled up at Alanna. Three large letters, MTT, dominated the screen in a deep red. A jaunty tune played in the background as the letters faded to reveal what looked like a very square T.V. screen with robotic arms and legs hosting some sort of cooking show. 

Alanna glanced to Frisk, who seemed thoroughly immersed as the energetic robot spoke to the audience about how to stir whatever concoction it was holding in its large gloved hands. For how quickly he was stirring Alanna was rather impressed that there was not a spot on the white gloves he wore. 

There was a fluttering at the edge of her vision and Alanna turned to see Frisk grinning at her. 

“ _ That’s Mettaton. He’s my friend.”  _ Frisk signed. 

“How did you meet him?” There was a ruckus from the kitchen and the strange bouncing music kicked up in the edges of her hearing. Papyrus laughed his strange laugh and there was an even louder crash. Followed by many more. Alanna leaned over slightly, wincing as she moved herself into position to see the large skeleton smashing tomatoes with his fists.

She glanced back to Frisk, who quickly began to sign. “ _ I met Mettaton in Alphys’ lab in Hotlands.”  _ It took Alanna a moment to process the strange terms. “ _ The first time at least.” _  They added. 

“Alphys?” She asked confused. 

_ “She’s a,” _ Frisk paused for a moment a small amused smile flickering over their features, “- _ a dinosaur.” _

Alanna barked out a startled laugh. 

“Sorry,” she said/signed quickly, “it’s just strange. All of this is.”

There was a moment of understanding between the two of them. Frisk really smiled. It felt genuine compared to all of the previous ones that they had thrown Alanna’s way. 

“They’re nice though.” 

Alanna froze as Frisk actually spoke to her. The child’s voice was soft but articulate. Half of Alanna wanted to act like it was a big deal, but the more practical side of her warned that it might scare the child. 

“Alphys?” Alanna asked half-heartedly signing. 

“The monsters here.” Frisk added softly eyes on their hands. 

“Toriel warned me that they would want my Soul, but so far everyone I’ve met down here wants to help me.” Alanna said her eyes back on the kitchen. “Maybe I should help him,” she mumbled when the crashing in the kitchen seemed to reach a crescendo. 

Frisk said nothing, but smiled the smallest bit and waved Alanna towards the kitchen. The child turned back to the television watching Mettaton push some dish into the oven with a witty remark.


	8. Save

Alanna forced herself to her feet, trying her best to ignore the sharp ache in her leg. Papyrus was forcefully throwing noodles into a pot. A few of the noodles bounced out of the pot, which made Alanna instantly suspicious of how much water was in the pot. 

“Papyrus?” She asked softly. Papyrus spun around excitedly. The front of his clothes were spattered in sauce and bits of tomato, it almost looked gruesome if she didn’t know he was cooking. 

“ YES, HUMAN? WHAT CAN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DO FOR YOU ? ” 

Alanna laughed softly, trying to keep weight off of her leg. “Actually, I was wondering if I could help you.” 

“ SURE ! ” Papyrus said side-stepping to allow for more room. He reached over and picked up a rather large and scary looking knife. “ YOU CAN SCRAPE THE SAUCE AND TOMATOES INTO A BOWL FOR ME .” 

Alanna glanced into the pot of spaghetti and was mortified to see about an inch of water in the bottom. “Papyrus, maybe you should add some water….” Alanna advised.

“ I SUPPOSE I COULD ,”  Papyrus said turning on the faucet, “ EVEN A PASTA MASTER LIKE MYSELF CAN USE ADVICE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE ! ” 

Alanna quickly got to work scraping the obliterated tomatoes into a bowl. The activity was nice, and she found herself humming as she scraped. Papyrus stirred the pasta vigorously the heat extremely high. In fact, flames licked up and around the pot. Strangely it didn’t remind Alanna of the flames that Toriel had summoned and rained down upon her. Those had felt different. Those felt savage and filled with a certain type of malice. These felt….empty. Mindless. Normal.

“Do you always keep the heat that high?”

“ OF COURSE ! ” Papyrus said turning towards Alanna. 

“Ever think about turning it down?”

“ NO! ” Papyrus exclaimed so loudly it started Alanna. She took a small step back eyes wide. And then the world turned upside-down. 

Something, she wasn’t sure what, grabbed a hold of her soul. The world flickered black and then she was ripped sideways. Alanna felt the knife slip from her hands an instant before pain blossomed in her stomach. She had slammed into something. It was inside of her. Blood washed warm down her legs. A grinning skeleton with one burning blue eye took a step towards her. His eye burned into her soul. 

“Sans!!!” A shrill voice screeched. 

Time skipped. Sounds suddenly changed, like she had flipped a channel. Frisk was crying in front of her. Dragging her. Screaming for Papyrus to help. Something grabbed her. Folded her up in strong arms. It hurt and she whimpered.

Snow? There was snow and Frisk was running ahead of Alanna. But Alanna wasn’t running. Whoever was holding her was. Alanna glanced down at her stomach and instantly wished she hadn’t. There was a ragged hole there. It was slick. Wet. 

Alanna’s arms felt like noodles, but she somehow willed them to her stomach. It painted her hands red. 

“ HUMAN I DO NOT UNDERSTAND .” Was Papyrus crying? Alanna tilted her head up and time skipped once more.

“Alanna!” Hands on her face. Smaller hands. “Please?”

With some effort Alanna opened her eyes. Frisk, though it took her a moment to place the face, was crying and looking down at her. 

“Save.” Frisk commanded in their tearful voice. They were at the base of some friendly looking buildings. Alanna cast her gaze around, not quite feeling in control of the action. They were near the warm looking inn. Snow fell silently on the strange scene. “You have to!”

The town was so cozy looking. Alanna felt a small surge of determination flow through her at the sight. Frisk was crying. 

**File Saved** . Another two note run. 

That’s what Frisk wanted, right? She looked to Frisk. “Save!!!” Alanna blinked, the world going fuzzy.

“I…did….” Talking felt awful. It was so cold. 

“HUMAN!” Oh, that’s right. She was still in Papyrus’ arms. She tilted her head up, and was surprised to see tears streaking down his face. She tried to force herself to smile at him. 

“It’s…okay….” She gasped out. “I’m…..okay…..” Darkness.

Something was being shoved against her face. Everything was blurry. It tasted sweet which was a jarring contrast to the landscape of agony that was her body. The object was jammed harder into her mouth, and she swallowed a bit of it reflexively. 

How could skeletons cry?

Alanna attempted to roll her head away from whatever was forcing the sweet stuff into her mouth, but large hands kept her face where it was. She chewed and swallowed. There was a small exclamation of relief, and then more sweet stuff pressed to her mouth. She ate that too, with some effort, and the world fell to black. 


	9. megalomaniac

The first sound Alanna was aware of was the gentle rustle of paper and wind. The second thing she was aware of was the horrible pain in her stomach. Alanna groaned and sat up, a blanket slipping down her body. 

The room she was in was rather sparse. She was sitting on a mattress that was on the floor. A window above her showed flashes of falling snow against a darkened sky. There was a desk with a lamp in the corner, and a treadmill in the center of the room with some sort of note written on it. The strangest feature of the room was directly in front of her, spinning lazily. 

“Is that a trash tornado?” Alanna asked her voice slightly scratchy. “With a dog?” A small white dog, along with various bits of trash and paper spun along. It was magical, despite the fact that it was made of trash. 

There was a large hamburger sitting on a plate on the floor with a note beside it that read ‘eat this, you’ll feel better.’ Alanna didn’t feel particularly hungry, but she took a large bite of the burger anyways. True the note, with each bite her pain died down until it was only an ache. 

Alanna, who had been stalling up until this point, took a deep breath and pushed the cover completely off of her torso. She was wearing a new shirt that was rather large on her. The words ‘jogboy’ were written in a blocky black text on the very white shirt. The sleeves each had black hearts as well. 

“That’s sure something.” She mumbled to herself before pulling the shirt up to reveal her stomach. For a moment she swore she could see the ragged hole from before, but all that was there was a very tender red spot. 

Tears threatened to fall as Alanna tried to remember everything that had happened. It was hard. She remembered the blood. Papyrus had been crying. So had Frisk. Alanna got on her feet, the large shirt becoming more like a dress. Her pants were gone too. 

Alanna wondered who had undressed her feeling her face flare up thinking of someone seeing her. 

Alanna walked out of the room trying to be as quiet as possible. She had no idea what time it was. The low drone and flicker of the t.v. was the only sign of life in the otherwise still house. Alanna crept to glance over the banister, but there was no one in the living room. With a small sigh she moved on unsteady legs down the stairs. 

The room, which before had felt warm and welcoming, now felt almost sinister. It felt as if something was watching her. She tried to ignore the feeling even as the little hairs on the back of her neck stood straight. 

Alanna walked to the opening of the kitchen where she stopped leaning heavily against the doorway. She felt exhausted. 

“Okay,” she whispered, “what happened?” Everything had been a blur. It felt more like a nightmare than real-life. They had been making spaghetti. The kitchen was sparkling clean now, it looked as if someone had scrubbed it. She had turned towards papyrus, and then… 

Alanna slowly turned to look at the opposite wall. She remembered the feeling of flying, no, being  _ ripped  _ to that wall. It was sparkling clean too. In fact, a large blotch was cleaner than the wall surrounding it. Alanna pushed away from the kitchen and moved to the wall her hand going out to touch it. 

In her mind there was a flash of pain, a wash of blood, a high pitched scream, a face. Alanna flinched away from the wall as if she had been burned, her arms going to wrap about her middle as she took a step back. It was the face that threw her off. She knew exactly one skeleton, and the face that she remembered wasn’t Papyrus. The face was rounder than Papyrus’ face. Thicker, if bones seem thicker, and a thousand times more menacing. Papyrus, while thinner, more angular, and almost harsh, had an innocence and joy that seemed to radiate from him. The other did not. 

Alanna realized with a start that she had been standing and staring at the wall for who-knows-how-long now. Forcing her arms to relax she turned to head back to bed, but was frozen when she saw that same face from her foggy memories staring at her.

Alanna didn’t remember screaming. She didn’t remember moving faster than her battered body ought to be able to and bursting out of the front door. She came back to herself as her feet screamed while she ran through ankle deep snow. 

Already the cold had crept up her legs and underneath the foreign shirt. Her body burst into goosebumps, but she pushed on trying to put as much distance between her and the house as possible. Without warning the same skeleton was in front of her, eyes looking distressed and mouth still upturned but with a rueful twist. She didn’t have the time to stop, but with an easy sidestep the skeleton caught her and spun out her momentum. 

Alanna went to scream again, but was cut off by a low voice. “ hey , ” the skeleton said arms tightening slightly, “ is that how ya greet a new pal? ”

Alanna was dumbstruck. A new pal?

“ come on, don’t give me the  _ cold _ shoulder .” 

“Don’t hurt me,” Alanna said remembering the sudden pain. The blood. This skeletons grinning face, one eye a flickering and eerie blue. But that wasn’t what he looked like now. The skeleton had a strained smile, and pinpricks of light in dark and empty sockets were trained on her face. She felt the sight burning which meant she was about to cry.

“ SANS! ” Papyrus’ voice broke through the winter air, and Alanna felt tears start to fall shivering violently. There were heavy crunches as Papyrus closed the distance between them.  “ ALANNA HUMAN! WHY ARE YOU OUT IN THE COLD ?” 

Just like that she was being lifted from the other skeleton’s arms. Sans. Papyrus had called him Sans. The name rang a bell, and Alanna suddenly realized that this must be Papyrus’ brother. Alanna couldn’t help herself as she instantly buried herself into the larger skeleton shaking with more than just the cold. It was strange how quickly she had grown to trust him. 

“ OH , ” he said hugging her a bit tighter to his chest, “ I DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE A FAN OF HUGGING! ” 

“ she’s scared paps .” Sans’ voice was low-pitched to the point she could almost feel the vibration of it. 

“ SCARED ? ” Papyrus shifted her until she was looking up into his face. “ THERE IS NO REASON TO BE AFRAID, HUMAN. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE TO PROTECT YOU! ”

“she’s scared of me, bro.” There was a heavy sigh. “i _rattled_ her.” 

Papyrus let out a large groan. “ I HATE YOU .” He said in a half-hearted way. “ ALANNA HUMAN, THERE IS NO NEED TO BE AFRAID OF SANS . ”

Alanna felt her panic rise as she remembered the glowing blue of Sans’ eye. “He attacked me!” Alanna said shivering even more violently. “He…..he…..” Words failed her. “It hurt. There was so much blood…” She glanced down at her stomach almost expecting to see the hole again. “Why?” The word poured out before she could think better of it.

“ IT WAS A TERRIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING -“

“ listen, ” Sans said catching her eyes, “ when i first saw ya i thought that you had attacked my bro. ” Alanna shivered as his eyes practically held her prisoner. There was something strange about the way his gaze seemed to envelop her own. 

“ PERHAPS WE CAN DISCUSS THIS IN THE HOUSE . ” Papyrus said tucking Alanna against his chest. It was then she realized how cold she had grown, and how warm Papyrus was. How was a skeleton warmer than her?

“ heh, yeah that’s a  _ cool  _ idea bro .” Papyrus groaned even louder as he began to walk towards the house. Over his shoulder she met the eyes of Sans. He didn’t move as Papyrus began to stride away, and so for the first time Alanna actually got a good look at him.

He watched her with a guarded expression hands now stuffed into the pockets of the deep blue hoodie he wore. He wore the jacket open, letting a white shirt show through. Black basketball shorts hung down to his knees, and his feet were covered in fuzzy pink slippers. Alanna had to do a double take of the pink slippers. 

He didn’t move an inch as Papyrus swept her into the house. With a quick motion Papyrus shut the door effectively leaving Sans in the cold. Papyrus left Alanna on the couch bustling around to secure her a blanket. 


	10. Pasta Master

“ there wasn’t much time to think, ” the deep voice sounded off slightly behind her and to the right. Alanna twisted around to see Sans standing behind the couch hands resting casually on the back. “ one second all i see is paps covered in red with a strange human holding a knife, the next i have the kid screaming at me. ” 

“You were outside,” Alanna said feeling slightly dumb. The door didn’t open, she knew that much. She was waiting for it. 

“ didn’t think i was  _ flaking _ out, did ya ?” 

“I-“ Alanna closed her eyes feeling overwhelmed all at once. 

“ thing is ,” Sans said slowly walking around the couch, “ i haven’t seen you before. i don’t know you, but anyone who messes with my brother, ” he came to a stop in front of Alanna the lights that were his eyes blacked out, “ is in for a  **bad time** .”

Alanna felt the same fear rise from before, but she had already tried running away. Determination shot through her body bringing forward a strength she didn’t realize she possessed. 

“Really?” Alanna’s voice felt as dead as Sans’ eyes. “After everything that happened, you’re still going to threaten me?” A rush of heat even though her body felt frozen. “What sort of asshat are you?” Alanna instantly regretted that.

Sans watched her with black eyes for about a half second before he barked out a startled laugh. Just like that the pinpricks of light were back and focused on her. “ yeah i guess you’re right .” He said amicably. “ we really did get off on the wrong foot. any chance for a do-over? ” 

“I listened to you, I hope that you’ll do the same for me.” Alanna said softly. Sans inclined his head so she glanced down to her hands with a deep breath. “I fell down here not too long ago. From what I’ve seen the Monsters here aren’t so bad. In fact, the only Monster who’s attacked me down here….is you.”

As Alanna spoke Sans’ eyes seemed to zero in on her, and she felt suddenly drawn out as if she were being weighed and measured. Then just like that, the feeling was gone, leaving Alanna wondering what she had planned on saying next. 

“I judge people on their actions.” She continued feeling odd. “So far, you don’t deserve a second chance. Pardon me if I don’t take you to heart right away….you did try to kill me….I think.”

“ you think ?” Sans asked sounding genuinely curious. 

“It’s hard to remember really. It’s blurry, like I’m seeing it through a haze.” 

Sans took a step back, leaving a bit more space between the two of them. “ i guess i’ll just have to prove myself. the kid has already taken a shine to you, and i don’t think it’s just because you’re a human. be careful. not everything in the underground is what it seems. ”

There was a very large pause. “ hey, ” Sans said breaking the silence, “ do me a favor .”

“A favor?” 

“ i know i don’t deserve it, but my bro really hates conflict in the house. could you let him think we made up, at least a little bit? ” 

Alanna already found herself nodding. It made complete sense that Papyrus would hate conflict among his friends. She could fake it, for him.

“ thanks. i owe ya one .” Sans said his gaze lingering on her for a few seconds. “ you can come out bro ,” he called louder than normal, “ the human and i are ok now .”

“ OH GOOD ! ” Papyrus said bounding in with a heap of blankets in his arms. “ ALANNA HUMAN, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU BLANKETS. MY SHIRT IS NOT ENOUGH TO GO OUTSIDE IN ! ” He chastised her directly before he dumped the pile of blankets on her. They were room temperature but to Alanna’s ice-chilled skin they were wonderfully warm. 

“Yeah, I wasn’t really thinking when I did.” She said sinking into the pile. “Thank you Papyrus.” Alanna tried her best to ignore the slight panic that was so prevalent when Sans was nearby, but it was difficult to say the least. 

“ DO NOT WORRY ALANNA HUMAN! SOME SPAGETTI SHOULD WARM YOU UP ! ” Once again she heard the strange bouncing music as Papyrus bounded into the kitchen, leaving her alone with his brother. 

Again. 

Alanna kept her gaze fixed on the covers surrounding her taking in the way complex way the thread was weaved. 

“ not one for talking, huh? ” Sans said after a minute. There was a sudden shift of weight on the couch and Alanna non-discreetly scrambled to the other side. Sans unabashedly stared at her, taking her in from the way she clutched the blankets around herself to the way her eyes betrayed her fear. 

“Your brother, he’s sweet.” Alanna ground out after a few tense minutes of silence. 

“ yeah, my brother’s pretty cool. been that way since we were baby bones .” Sans replied easily. 

“Has he always had this obsession?” 

From the corner of her vision she saw Sans slowly turn to look at her. Without any real effort on his part the room seemed colder. “ the one with humans ?”

“No, I meant the spaghetti one.” She corrected holding back a shiver. 

“ oh ,” in an instant the darker atmosphere lifted, “ no, this was more recent. undyne did that .”  Sans chuckled and it was a strangely warm sound from someone so terrifying to Alanna. 

“Undyne, I’ve heard her name before.”

“ UNDYNE IS ONE OF THE COOLEST MONSTERS IN THE UNDERGROUND, EXCLUDING MYSELF .” Papyrus said leaning out of the kitchen. “ SHE’S THE CAPTIAN OF THE ROYAL GUARD ! ” 

“There’s a royal guard? Wait….there’s royalty?” Alanna asked Papyrus instantly glad. Despite how loud his voice was, he was beginning to become a balm to her nerves. 

“ YOU HAVEN’T HEARD OF KING ASGORE ?”

Alanna laughed the smallest bit. “Seeing as I’ve been here about two days I haven’t really gotten into the politics of the underground just yet.” What Alanna didn’t reveal was that she knew that name. It was the same name Toriel uttered in dread, certain that this king was going to kill Frisk. 

“ he’s a softie  _ fur _ sure. but the big guy can hold his own .” 

“ SANS! ” Papyrus groaned leaning against the doorway dramatically. 

“ _ tibia _ honest i thought that was  _ humerous _ .” There was a large crack as Papyrus knocked his head against the doorframe in pun-agony. 

“They’re  _ punny _ in their own way.” A smile crept onto Alanna’s face as she joined in.

“ NOT YOU TOO !” Papyrus exclaimed in despair. Alanna giggled. 

“What’s wrong Papryus?” Alanna asked with fake sincerity. “Can’t take the  _ pun _ ishment?”

“ I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND !” Papyrus stated staring at Alanna with a mischievous look.  “ BUT NOW I SEE YOU’RE AN  _ IMPASTA _ !  NYEH HEH HEH !” 

Alanna burst into laughter as Papyrus slid back into the kitchen, the bouncing music following. Alanna’s laughter trailed off after a moment or two.

“ nice jokes, kid .” Sans said sounding amused.

“I’m twenty two, and thanks.” 

Papyrus came bounding back out with a large plate of spaghetti balanced on one hand. “ HERE, ALANNA HUMAN, THIS SHOULD HELP ! ” He said excitedly before handing her the plate and a fork. The spaghetti smelled rather good, but when Alanna got a good look at it her fork stopped dead between the plate and her mouth.

“Umm…” 

“ WHAT’S WRONG, ALANNA HUMAN ?”

Alanna twisted the spaghetti on her fork this way and that. “Is that….glitter?” Large and small chunks of red glitter were thrown into the sauce creating a very beautiful display, but not a very appetizing one. 

“ OF COURSE! A GREAT PASTA CHEF LIKE MYSELF KNOWS THAT GLITTER MAKES THE BEST SPAGHETTI ! ” Papyrus’ chest puffed out at that. He then leaned forwards, hope swelling into his eyes as he waited for Alanna to try his ‘specialty’.

Alanna heard Sans chuckle under his breath, which only strengthened her resolve. With a deep breath she forced the bite into her mouth, attempting not to wince as the glitter crunched between her teeth. It felt like eating sand. Very pretty sand. After a few more valiant attempts at chewing she swallowed the mess before forcing a pleased expression. 

The facial training that broadcast journalism taught did Alanna well, because Papyrus beamed like the sun at her expression. “ AS YOU CAN SEE I AM THE FINEST PASTA CHEF AROUND !” 

“You are,” Alanna said trying to ignore the horrible feeling of glitter in her throat. “Thank you! I feel much warmer already. In fact I’m kinda tired…can I use your bathroom before I go back to sleep?”

“ bathroom’s over there, kid .” Sans said smiling smugly while gesturing to a door off to the left of the t.v. and the kitchen. 

“Thanks.” Alanna said pushing the blankets to the side. She hurried to the bathroom and shut the door still smiling at Papyrus. She then proceeded to start gagging and coughing as the gritty sensation overwhelmed her. She ran the tap and tried her best to swish and gargle the glitter out, but it still took a few minutes before her stomach finally settled into an uneasy peace.  

Alanna leaned heavily against the sink staring warily at herself. There were very dark circles underneath her golden eyes which gave her a haunted look. Her hair was still a shock of red that surrounded her face like a mane, but it was even more matted than before and a few of the ends seemed to be clumped together with a darker looking stuff. The black shirt hung off of her small frame, one shoulder was trying it’s hardest to slip off of one shoulder. A slight lift of the shirt revealed the still pink and splotchy mark on her stomach along with the unhealed scratches from her fall. Her arms and hands fared no better. At least her leg hadn’t bothered her again. 

Alanna sighed and let the shirt drop, making a note to ask where her clothes had gotten to tomorrow. One deep breath later and she was pushing the bathroom door back open. Papyrus had been busy while she was away. He had cleaned her plate and straightened the covers. Sans was exactly where she had left him. He tilted his head slightly towards Alanna the pinpricks of light that were his eyes training on her face. She shifted uncomfortably for a moment.

“ hey ,” Sans’ smile shifted slightly though what it meant Alanna couldn’t decipher. “ you can keep sleeping in my room if ya want .”

“That was your room?” Goosebumps broke out across her skin at the thought. 

“ yeah, frisk shares a room with paps, and we don’t have much room so i just gave you mine. i slept on the couch. ”

“I’d rather sleep on the couch.” 

“ you sure ?” 

“Yeah.” Her response was clipped and left no room for arguments. Sans didn’t argue. He simply shrugged and pushed himself up from the cushions, a large jangling sound accompanying the motion. 

“ lemme know if you  _ change _ your mind. ” He said with a wink. Then he went up the stairs and into his room. Almost instantly strange flickering and liquid seeming lights began to creep from underneath the door. Alanna resolved not to mention or think about it. 

“ DO YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE ALANNA HUMAN ?” Papyrus asked coming out of the kitchen. 

“Do you have a pillow I could use?” She asked glancing at the couch. 

“ WE WILL HAVE TO ACQUIRE YOU ONE TOMORROW. I CAN SHOW YOU SNOWDIN !” Papyrus said rubbing his head. “ YOU MAY USE MY PILLOW IF YOU WISH .” 

“I think I can last a night without one. Anyway I bet Frisk is missing you right now.”

“ YOU ARE RIGHT, ALANNA HUMAN ! ” Papyrus began to move to the stairs. “ GOODNIGHT. ” 

Alanna waited until she could hear the door to Papyrus’ room close before she moved to settle down on the couch. It was lumpy now that she was laying on it. The couch gently jingled every time she shifted, so Alanna took the time to remove the cushions and gather the coins onto a side table before laying down again. 

That made the couch a bit more inhabitable. With a few of the blankets that Papyrus left her Alanna wrapped herself up and slowly drifted off into an exhausted sleep.


	11. Static

Flashes of blue.

 

A slash of red.

 

Then static drowning out the pain. Static drowning out everything.

 

Alanna was in a grey room, that felt faded and forgotten by the world. Something was staring at her. She couldn’t quite make it out. There was so much static, like something was screaming at her. Willing itself to be recognized. A single unending, heart-wrenching screech to be heard.

To be remembered.

“I hear you,” Alanna said to the greyness. “I don’t understand, but I hear you.”

The static dimmed slightly, and something flickered in the corner of the room. The thing she couldn’t make out before. She was surprised she had forgotten it was there. The longer she tried to make out what the creature was, the more frequently strange symbols began to flash across her vision. Over and over in the same pattern. 

The world she was in shifted. Folded and twisted in on itself. It was collapsing. The symbols became bolder, more real than the grey room. Then, all at once, Alanna understood what they stood for.

W.D. Gaster.

~

There was a shift of weight, and Alanna bolted upright a small scream of terror ripping out of her. In an instant Frisk was climbing into her lap frantically signing ‘sorry’. 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Alanna mumbled not quite feeling connected to the world.

W.D. Gaster. The words whispered in her mind reminding her of the strange dream. The symbols flashing ever frantically as the dream collapsed in on itself. It didn’t feel like a message…it felt like a name. An introduction.

“ you all right, kid? you look like you’ve seen a ghost .” Sans’ voice sounded from the stairs. Alanna glanced up and instantly flinched away from his gaze. She wasn’t ready to face him quite yet. Instead Alanna just wrapped her arms around Frisk and let herself tip back over until she and Frisk were laying back down. 

The quiet giggle that Frisk let out was enough to make Alanna relax the smallest bit. It was a sweet sound. Innocent. 

“Maybe I did.” Alanna answered pressing her face into Frisk’s hair. 

A few light taps and Alanna leaned up slightly, letting Frisk disengage themselves from the stranglehold they had been trapped in. “ _ Good morning _ ,” Frisk signed brightly.

“Good morning.” Alanna yawned. “Where’s Papyrus?” If Papyrus was awake she would have heard him by now, and Alanna didn’t peg Papyrus as a late riser. 

“ _ He left this morning. You slept later than Sans! _ ” Frisk gave Alanna a crooked smile. “ _ You must have been tired!” _

Alanna blearily blinked at the child’s exuberance not quite ready to handle it. “I’m guessing I slept late.” She mumbled pulling herself up into a sitting position with her cover still helplessly twisted around her body. “I’m sorry, I’m not meaning to impose.” 

Frisk began to adamantly shake their head, but Alanna ignored it. 

“I can’t stay here much longer, it’s not my home.” Alanna said to Frisk gently, she then turned to Sans. “If I could just get my clothes I can get out of your hair….” A small realization. “Out of your way.” She amended.

“ woah. slow down ,” Sans said walking over to sit in-between Alanna and Frisk. His eye-lights were trained on Alanna’s face. “ you’re not imposing on anyone. where would you go anyway? the underground is sealed away from the human world .” 

“What?” 

Frisk’s confusion almost outshone Alanna’s own. “ _ You didn’t know?” _ Their nose scrunched up in the most adorable way. “ _ You lived above, how could you have not heard the stories? How did Mom not tell you?” _

“ you met the kid’s mom ?” Sans asked his eyes flicking between the two of you.

Alanna sighed and rolled her neck, hearing a few soft pops as she did so. Sans stiffened a bit at the sound. “Well, I’m not from Ebott. I actually just moved there for a job.” The more awake Alanna became the more uncomfortable she felt as she realized Sans was sitting close enough to touch her. “She didn’t tell me much.” Alanna shrugged. “She was super worried about you, so I volunteered to find you.” 

“ _ She can’t be worried about me,” _ a petulant look settled on Frisk’s face, “ _ I tried to call her, but she wouldn’t ever answer. She gave up on me. She’s always given up on me.” _

Alanna laughed, which was the wrong thing to do. Frisk seemed to close up almost instantly their eyes going to rest on their feet. “Hey,” Alanna said quickly, “I’m not laughing because you think that she abandoned you.” Frisk’s eyes met hers with the smallest trace of hope. “I was laughing because the reason she hasn’t picked up, is because some dog stole her phone. Though how a dog stole a phone is beyond me…” Alanna said under her breath.

Frisk’s laugh was clear as a bell and heartwarming. Where Alanna was fixated on Frisk, she could see that Sans was just as fixated on her. Alanna wished he would stop staring at her. It unnerved her to have his attention in the slightest. 

Frisk calmed down and then glanced up as if in thought. Then with hands so quick that they almost blurred together Frisk explained. “ _ A long time ago monsters lived on the Surface along with humans. Something happened, I don’t know what, which caused them to fight. The war lasted for a very long time, but humans defeated the monsters in the end. Seven human wizards locked all of the monsters here, underground, with a thing called the barrier. You can’t break it unless you use seven human souls.”  _ Alanna zoned in to the quick and precise movements. “ _ Or, a monster can absorb a single human soul and cross the barrier. We could absorb a monster’s soul, but it has to be a boss monster because normal monster souls are too weak to survive outside of their bodies for very long.” _ Frisk’s hands stilled their eyes drilling into Alanna’s own. “ _ To absorb a soul you have to kill the monster.” _

Alanna couldn’t help but flinch back slightly from the information. She was stuck down here unless she killed a monster? Or they killed her? Toriel was right, they were in danger. How long had the monsters been down here? How badly did they want to leave?

“ _ Could you do it?” _ Their hands moved a bit differently than before. Frisk, for a moment, didn’t look like Frisk. Alanna swore she saw red eyes. 

“No.” It was the truth. Alanna could fight back if she needed to, but to kill someone was something entirely different. If it came down to it she wasn’t sure she could kill to save herself, let alone just to get out of somewhere. 

Just like that Frisk smiled, almost forcefully, the red Alanna thought she saw fading back into deep brown. “ _ I like you.” _ They signed almost forcefully. The ‘I’ seemed stressed, as if they were saying that for someone else’s sake rather than Alanna’s own.

“ see? ” Sans said instantly bringing himself back into Alanna’s awareness. She had been so intent on Frisk that she had forgotten his presence entirely. Alanna automatically moved away, shying into the blankets. “ might as well stay here. the kid likes ya, and so does my bro. ” He didn’t even mention the fact that she had no actual way out of the underground, and that the rest of the monsters might hunt her down just for her soul.

God, this place really was terrifying. 

“ _ Papyrus would be sad if you left. _ ” Frisk signed. 

Alanna closed her eyes and sighed sinking further into the blankets. She was sure that by this point she was only a face among them. “Okay.” No one else decided to speak to her, and the t.v. clicked on the same upbeat song playing from before. 

The situation she was in finally hit Alanna. There was a long span of time where Sans and Frisk talked. At some point she heard Frisk ask quietly if Alanna had fallen back asleep, and Alanna let them think that. There was a slam, and Alanna hardly had the time to register that she had shot off the couch before Papyrus was already talking.

“ALANNA HUMAN!” He paused seeing her standing and a grin settled on his face despite the fear that was coursing through Alanna. Why was she so jumpy? She usually didn’t jump at every sound. Hell, she played horror games more than any other genre. “OH GOOD, YOU’RE UP! GET READY, ALANNA HUMAN, FOR A WONDERFUL DAY OF PUZZLES, JAPES, AND SNOW AWAITS YOU!” 

Alanna forced herself to relax and smile at the exuberant skeleton. “I need clothes first.” 

“OH DEAR,” Papyrus wrung his gloved hands together, “YOUR CLOTHES WERE RUINED.”

“i got this.” Sans slowly pushed himself up. Alanna moved back when he passed, which didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. There was the sound of heavy footsteps up the stairs, a door opening, and after a moment a couple of articles of clothing landed on Alanna’s head. 

A pair of basketball shorts, which looked a bit large, along with a white shirt. “OH GOOD!” Papyrus went to sit on the couch. “YOU GO CHANGE, THEN OUR DAY CAN BEGIN!” 

How could Alanna protest?

The bathroom felt more crowded than before. Alanna pulled the large shirt off only to replace it with another. At least her underthings had been left on her.  This new shirt at least hung off of her a bit less than Papyrus’. The shorts fit, if only just. They sat low on her hips, if one could see that underneath the shirt. Alanna threw the used shirt into a laundry basket that was surprisingly full. When she headed back out Sans was already sitting with Papyrus and Frisk on the couch, with Alanna’s shoes sitting off to the side of the bathroom door along with her socks. At least there was that. 

“COME ALONG ALANNA!” Papyrus said quite literally as soon as she got both shoes on. Gloved hands pulled her up. There was a bit of nostalgia to the motion. Alanna had been pulled up like this all her life, her father had always tugged her off the floor in the exact same way. “WE HAVE THINGS TO DO!” 

On the way out of the door Alanna snagged the coat that Toriel had given her. She pulled it on just as a gust of cold air brushed over her arms. Snowdin was beautiful. 

Alanna had been dragged to states where it would actually snow, but there was something magical about the fat flakes that drifted from the dark cavern above. A few of the flakes gently brushed against Alanna’s upturned face.

“THIS IS THE SENIC ‘MY HOUSE’!” Papyrus said sweeping his hand towards the cozy-looking home of the skeleton brothers. “YOUR HOUSE NOW! OVER HERE IS THE LIBRARBY,” he said walking to the right. Alanna wrapped her jacket around her more tightly and began to follow Papyrus walking along the trail he was leaving in the snow. Librarby….that sounded awfully wrong….but that  _ is  _ what the sign said. The mere fact that they had a typo on the library sign was enough to make her start to giggle. 

Alanna knew in that moment that the day was going to be a good one. 

The light was dim by the time Papyrus declared that it was time to go home. At the shop he had gotten her a pillow which he now held under his arm. 

“You go on home; I’ll be there in just a bit. I think I need some time alone.” Alanna said stopping in the middle of the path. 

“ARE YOU SURE ALANNA HUMAN?”

Alanna nodded even though her heart fluttered at the thought of a monster catching her out alone. Papyrus had become a form of protection at this point, but Alanna knew that she needed this alone time. She needed to be able to think. 

“BE HOME SOON,” Papyrus said after watching her for a moment. “BE CAREFUL, HUMAN.” He then slowly turned to head back to the house.


	12. Snowfall

As soon as Papyrus was far enough away Alanna turned around and began her quiet journey. The world seemed to be held in a moment of silence as she trudged through the ankle-deep snow. The shorts were long enough that only the smallest bit of her shins were actually exposed to the cold, and she lost feeling in those particular areas of her body after a few hours of following Papyrus. 

Alanna passed out of town and came across a large rope bridge which she hardly remembered from her first meeting with Papyrus. The drop made her stomach lurch and she spent a few moments in the approximate middle of the bridge looking down into the darkness below.

“What do I do?” She asked the drop. The rope creaked and swayed slightly, but there was no answer. A sigh and she continued on. The light finally gave way into the strange twilight that was the underground night. 

There was a familiar field with a guard-house in the middle. Snow-poffs littered the ground, and Alanna carefully avoided stepping on any of them. Past the snow covered field was a long stretch of ice that easily slid Alanna through, the trees above her dumped snow onto Alanna’s head causing her to yelp. The ice continued to move her forwards, almost as if it had a consciousness of its own. She shook her head vigorously only to end up slipping and slamming into the ice. It burned, but still slid her on until it dumped her into the snow on the other side of the ice-field puzzle. It took her a minute to get up.

Alanna found herself humming slightly as she walked. It hadn’t occurred to her that she had lost the will to sing for some time now. In fact, she hadn’t sung since college, with her friends. 

Her former friends.

She found a song pouring out as she traveled along, filling the silence with song. “He stumbled into faith and thought…” The wind blew sharply around her, but surprisingly it didn’t sting. “God this is all there is.” 

A larger sentry stand stood in the cold night air. “The pictures in his mind arose and began, to breathe,” for the barest moment Alanna swore she could see a figure in the guard house, “and all the gods in all the worlds began colliding on a backdrop of blue.” As long as the monster didn’t bother her she didn’t feel the need to investigate, and she let her eyes slip past.

“Blue lips. Blue veins.” She sang almost sure that her own lips had turned blue at this point. Her mind conjured up the hazy image of Sans. One blue eye set in a smiling face. “He took a step but then felt tired,” Alanna forced her voice to strengthen in order to combat the sudden air-stealing fear that was attempting to consume her. 

“He said, ‘I’ll rest a little while,’ but when he tried to walk again he wasn’t a child.” She began to walk over the grey-scale grid that she was sure Papyrus set up. “And all the people hurried fast, real fast, and no one ever smiled…” That reminded her of Ebbot, it was a rather large town where people hustled past without a second glance at someone like her.

“Blue lips. Blue veins,” Alanna still had the feeling she was being watched as she headed towards a puzzle that she realized looked like Papyrus’ face, “Blue, the color of our planet from far far away. Blue lips. Blue veins. Blue, the color of our planet from far far away.”

Her voice echoed to her slightly, a lonely tune in a frozen world. A lonely person. “He stumbled into faith and thought: god this is all there is.” Maybe this really was all there was.  She was trapped here unless she thought of a way out.

Could she really kill someone? “The pictures in his mind arose and began to breathe.” She knew she didn’t want to, but the question was could she. The song poured on without real thought on her part, her mind spinning faster and faster. 

“And no one saw and no one heard,” her voice shook with repressed emotion, “They just followed the lead. The pictures in his mind awoke, and began to breed.”

A flash of eyes glowing in the darkness. Alanna was too far gone in her own head to really notice. “They started off beneath the knowledge tree, and they chopped it down to make a picket fence. And marching along the railroad tracks they smiled real wide for the camera lens.”

She tried to imagine the sensation. She tried to imagine watching the life leave from a stranger’s eyes.  “As they made it past the enemy lines,” the stranger’s eyes shifted into hate-hardened eyes in her mind, “just to become enslaved in the assembly lines.” She knew the answer to the question, and she felt hope drain within her.

The large slatted gate passed above her. Alanna hadn’t realized how quickly she had been moving through the darkness. 

“Blue lips. Blue veins.” 

No. She couldn’t kill someone. It wasn’t within her, the very thought made the core of her being flinch away.

“Blue, the color of our planet from far far away.”

How would she survive in this world? They wanted her very soul, and it was made abundantly clear that no one would stop wanting that.

“Blue lips. Blue veins. Blue, the color of our planet from far far away.” Toriel’s door, the door to the Ruins, lay in front of her large and imposing. “Blue,” she sang her voice rising and cascading, the door echoed her song back to her in her own voice, “the most human color.”

“Blue,” Alanna’s voice began to quiet her hand reaching out to press against the door. She wanted Toriel to be there. She knocked as hard as she dared against the large door and waited.

“The most human color. Blue,” her voice rose again, “the most human color.” Why was she singing? What point was there? She slammed her hand into the door this time, crying out when she felt her knuckles split against the door. 

But no one came.

She turned to face the empty landscape, her back against the door, injured hand cradled to her chest. She slid and landed with a small plop into the snow. The cold hurt and pushed through the short’s fabric easily. The unfinished song felt worse than the cold. 

At least she could control this.

“Blue lips. Blue veins. Blue, the color of our planet from far far away.” The last strains of her voice stretched out in the dark. She hung her head and simply sat.

Trapped underground.

She tried to wrap her head around it. Accept it. But her mind kept supplying her with little interrupting thoughts. What would happen with her job? She had just started to gain popularity as a radio personality. Things had been looking up in her career. 

Alanna’s parents had to notice at some point. She had made it a point to call every few weeks to check up on them. What would they do? Would they think she was dead? Alanna couldn’t imagine the how horrible it would be for them.

There was the smallest sound of shifting snow. Alanna glanced up, but there was nothing there. Just a flower a few feet away near the tree-line. She let her gaze fall back to the snow at her feet. 

“Howdy!” The voice was higher-pitched and Alanna jerked up and slammed herself backward into the door. The large yellow flower near the tree-line had a face. “Oh!” The flower said eyes wide it’s little leaves wiggling slightly.

The flower had a face. 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare ya!” It said with a hesitant smile. “I’m Flowey! Flowey the Flower!” 

Monsters were all shapes and sizes, so Alanna supposed that this was just another monster. A friendly one by the sound of it. 

“It’s okay,” she said forcing herself to relax, “I’m Alanna, nice to meet you.” 

“You must be new to the underground! I haven’t seen you before.” Flowey said slightly swaying as if in a gentle breeze. 

“I’ve only been here three days.” She confirmed. 

“Golly!” The ground underneath the flower began to shift and almost seem to boil, mixing light brown earth and snow. Flowey seemed to glide through the earth a little closer to Alanna. “You must be so confused.”

“Actually, it hasn’t been that bad…” Other than the fact that she had been broken and impaled a couple of times within a few days. Not to mention she now lived with the same person who impaled her, and was trapped in a strange land with murder being the only clear way out. 

Flowey watched her for a moment and Alanna could hear the faintest strains of lighthearted music. “So, you’re a human.” Alanna felt herself stiffen up at the accusation. It was true, but it was also supposed to be a death sentence down here. Flowey chuckled at the action, and something about his laughter made Alanna shiver. “Oh don’t worry,” the flower trilled, “you’re  _ much _ more interesting alive right now!” 


	13. Flowey

Alanna pushed herself up, and realized that she had been sitting in the snow for far too long. Her legs almost gave underneath her as she scrambled to get away from the flower.

“Wait where are you going?” The voice should have sounded shocked, but it sounded dark. Amused. 

“I’m going home,” Alanna said without any real thought. She tried to inch away, but felt a familiar pull at the center of her chest.

“Don’t you know?” Flowey’s grin stretched and twisted into something truly monstrous. “You can  _ never _ go home!”

The world flickered black.

Alanna’s consciousness split and she watched as the snow reflected the glow of her soul. Flowey fell quiet as he stared at her.  The burnt orange options were away from her; it was Flowey’s turn. There was no glow in his chest…. stem? Alanna wondered if that was normal. 

“Your soul,” Flowey breathed all malice gone from the flower’s face. 

Alanna instantly tried to cover her soul, but her it simply shined through her hands. Instantly a gentle protective warmth seemed to settle around her body. She watched in abject horror as the flower emitted a half circle of what looked to be spinning white seeds. 

“Fighting isn’t that hard,” Flowey said eyes locked on her own, “in fact. It feels good. Don’t you want to feel good?” The seeds shot out towards her, and she pushed herself to the side. Dodging the seeds was relatively easy for Alanna. If she wasn’t terrified at the situation Alanna would have savored the feeling of flying. Instead she bit her lip as the options pulled back towards her.

**| FIGHT** **|** **| ACT |** **| ITEM |** **| MERCY |**

Alanna lightly reached out, and chose to talk. 

“Flowey, why are you doing this? You said yourself that I was too interesting to kill right now.” The options fell away from her as Flowey stared into her soul. 

“You idiot!” He sneered more seeds forming in a spinning formation around his head. “Do you really think that Her tactics are going to work?” The way Flowey said ‘her’ seemed torn between reverent and hateful. “What happens when you come against someone you can’t talk down?” The seeds went darting towards Alanna, faster than before. She hardly had the time to move before one skimmed her shin leaving what felt like a trail of acid in its wake.

Blood splattered to the ground, but the burning feeling quickly dimmed. Alanna wondered if the cold was helping in any aspect, but she could hardly feel the frigid air. Beyond Flowey the snow-covered landscape faded into pitch black.

Flowey was laughing, a twisted and mangled sound that jumped octaves without any warning. “Don’t you want to go home?” 

She did. 

“Of course I do,” Alanna said glancing down at her glowing soul. 

“Then fight,” Flowey’s voice dipped into a demonic bass, “that’s the only way you can get out.”

Flowey was right, but she couldn’t stomach the thought. Alanna’s soul was shedding that beautiful moving light. It reminded her of a coal, but brighter, slower. Or candlelight. There had to be some way to do get out without harming anyone. If getting to the surface meant changing herself on a fundamental level Alanna would happily choose to rot down here. 

Alanna was filled with Determination.

“Just let me go.”

“Wrong answer,” he laughed sounding manic, “but you’ll learn. They all do eventually. Even if it means you die,” the word sent a stab of panic through Alanna’s mind, “over and Over and OVER AGAIN.” 

A ring of seeds spawned around Alanna slowly moving in towards her. They were everywhere. Flowey was laughing the grating sound of it working its way underneath Alanna’s skin. Alanna began to reach towards her own form of magic, but the seeds suddenly stopped still a foot away from her skin. 

“How  _ interesting _ !” Flowey crooned. Alanna followed his gaze to see Sans, standing casually out in the snow, hands in his pockets, eyes trained on Flowey. “Howdy!” The greeting felt cold and angry. 

“heya.” 

“Alanna, I didn’t know you spent your time with this smiling trash-bag!” Flowey didn’t glance to her, but stared down Sans. The two seemed to be locked in some sort of staring contest. 

Sans chuckled, but otherwise simply stood there calm and composed. 

“Flowey,” Alanna said quietly, “let me go.” 

The seeds inched ever closer as Flowey’s attention returned to her. He giggled, eyes flickering to Sans every few seconds. “Even  _ he _ learned the lesson over and Over and OVER. Didn’t you?” 

Near Flowey, Sans’ eyes became dark voids.

“Okay that’s enough!” Alanna’s voice rang out shattering the dark moment between the two. She then realized how terrifying it was to have the them turn to stare at her. “Um,” she breathed her bravado gone, “can you just…not?  Please let me go, and have this,” she pauses, “whatever this is somewhere I’m not?” 

“I was just playing!” Flowey said the attack suddenly disappearing and his name shifting into a bright yellow. Alanna felt her breath release as the turn shifted to her. “Be seein’ ya!” Flowey quipped cheerily as Alanna decided to spare him.

***You Spare Flowey! You receive 0 EXP and 0 Gold!**

As soon as Flowey was spared the ground roiled beneath him before he shot into it, leaving the scene. Alanna’s soul reunited with her body and she lost her breath at how cold she was. Her feet hit the ground, and her legs gave out slamming her into the snow. Her leg  _ burned. _ Alanna gasped and struggled to pick herself up out of the snow.

“here.” Sans was suddenly there helping Alanna up. She flinched away from the contact slamming into the Ruin doors attempting to get away from him. Sans’ smile twisted slightly, and he stood back hands back in his hoodie. 

“Sorry, I just…” Alanna was instantly fascinated with the blood that had trailed down her leg. 

“you need help?” Sans took a small step towards Alanna. “pap was pretty worried about you when you didn’t come back. you must be cold.” He said eye-lights taking in her appearance. 

“I’m fine.” She said pulling her jacket tighter around herself. It didn’t help. The colors around her seemed to have shifted and deepened. Even the snow was showing more color and life than it had before. Her blood stood stark against the white of the landscape, looking more like ink than the darker substance that it was. 

“you don’t look it,” Sans took another slow step forward, almost treating Alanna like a wounded animal. “howsabout this?” Another step. Alanna knew that Sans was taller than her, but most of the time he seemed so short. She supposed it was because of his brother. 

Papyrus was so tall.

“we can take a shortcut back to the house. that way paps won’t have to see you worse than this.” Sans was only worried because of Papyrus. The realization hit Alanna and left her staring at the skeleton dumbly. Of course Sans would be here because of that. 

“I’m fine,” Alanna said shrugging away his offer. She attempted to walk past Sans, but he seemed to still be in front of her even though she swore that she had just been walking past him. 

“you’ve been nothing but trouble since my bro brought you in. even the kid doesn’t come home ruffed-up every day.” Sans took a step forward. Alanna held her ground. “papyrus is already attached to you, and you getting hurt constantly is hurting him.” She could hear the threat in his voice. 

“Let’s get something straight.” Determination burned through Alanna. How dare he threaten her when he was the one to hurt her in the first place? What sort of twisted logic did he run on? “You don’t get to police my movement because you love your brother. Just remember that you were the one who attacked me, not the other way around.” 

“my bro will worry himself sick over you.”

Alanna laughed as a darker thought struck her. Sans went deathly still. “Have you ever heard the term victim-blaming?” Sans still didn’t move, but somehow she knew that she had caught him off-guard. “Victim-blaming is exactly as it sounds. You take an incident…like being attacked,” she said sharply her eyes locking onto his eye-lights, “and instead of blaming the aggressor, the one who chose to attack the other person, you blame the victim. It can come in many forms.” Anger had reduced her voice to a low growl. 

“wait-“

“You blame the victim because they were wearing a certain type of clothing. Or that they were walking alone. The problem with this logic is that the victim did not commit the act. The aggressor did.” 

“hang on, kid. i’m not saying it’s your fault.” Sans said holding his hands up in a peace-making gesture. 

“And yet you’re blaming me for Papyrus worrying about me……because I get beat up too much.” 

Sans breathed out, a strangely impressed sound. “damn,” he muttered running a hand over his head. “you got me there.” 

Damn right I do, Alanna thought harshly. At this point, however, the fire of Alanna’s anger and determination was being stolen by the cold. She really had made a stupid decision wandering out in the snow for so long. 

“can we at least get you out of the cold?” 

Alanna instantly shook her head, starting to move past Sans. She might have wanted to get home faster, but her pride was refusing the help from someone who didn’t really care about her. 

“don’t freeze out here just because you’re pissed at me.” His tone had softened. “what good will that do? paps and the kid would be furious, and trust me, you don’t want that.” Another long pause. Alanna’s feet started to go numb. “i can convince him to make spaghetti without the glitter.” 

Alanna felt her body give in before her mind. She let out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine,” she said turning back towards the skeleton. His smile seemed to brighten considerably. 

“pretty  _ metal _ of ya’ to keep that bite down.” He said holding out a hand. As much as she didn’t want to, Alanna laughed at the pun. She placed her hand in his, and was instantly surprised by the warmth. Alanna didn’t really realize that she had made a sound until he began to chuckle, looking down at her hand in his. “you’re like ice, kid.” His other hand came to rest over the top of her hand, enclosing it in warmth. 

Alanna wanted to shy away, but the movement was so gentle and calculated that she found herself leaning slightly into him instead. “I’ve been out here a while.” She found herself saying tiredly. 

“yeah, I noticed.” Sans said letting go only to grab her other hand to enfold into the warmth.  “what were you doin’ this far away from snowdin anyways?”

“The Ruins,” Alanna said turning to look at the door. “I came back. I was hoping…” She trailed off sighing heavily. “I wanted to go back, if only for a minute.”

“why?”

Alanna bit her lip. “I don’t know. I guess I wanted to talk to her.” 

“she’s the one who gave you this, huh?” Alanna’s gaze was drawn back to Sans as he let go with one hand and reached into his hoodie pocket. There was a small metallic sound as he tugged a necklace out into the open air. Not just a necklace,  _ the  _ necklace that Toriel had given Alanna before she sent her off. Alanna took a step back tugging her hands away. 

Alanna stared at the object. She had noticed that the necklace had been missing while lying awake on the couch the first night. It had saddened her, but the little object hadn’t seemed important before now. She reached out and Sans dumped the necklace into her palm. 

There was no hesitation as Alanna clasped the it back around her neck. “You found it.” Alanna herself was not sure if her voice grateful or accusatory. 

“yeah,” Sans shifted uncomfortably, “the kid wanted to wash it. there was a lotta blood. i was supposed ta’ give it back…”

Alanna took a deep breath and pushed away her anger. It wouldn’t help to be pissed off at him. It was obvious that he didn’t trust her and she knew that she didn’t trust him. She would have to learn to live with it, or in this case, ignore it. 


	14. shortcut

“Thanks.” She avoided his gaze and touched the necklace instead. She wasn’t sure why it felt so important, but Toriel had given it to her. There had to be some reason.  “You said you knew a shortcut?” 

“uh, yeah.” Sans held out his hand again, his eyes searching her own. Alanna took his hand without hesitation or complaint. “it’s just this way.” He tugged lightly on her hand walking toward the densely packed trees. 

Alanna’s legs wouldn’t quite work as she stumbled along behind Sans. He kept glancing back to her as they began to weave their way through the trunks. Alanna suddenly lost her breath and stumbled forwards, the world spinning around her wildly. She hardly had the time to realize she was falling before Alanna was being cradled in Sans’ arms. 

“woah,” Sans himself looked surprised that he had caught her. “don’t worry, kid, it’s only a bit further.” He said gently as he put her back on her feet. Whatever had caused the dizziness had passed, and Alanna steadied. 

“I’m fine.” 

Alanna took Sans’ outstretched hand once more and they continued moving through the trees. It was only a few moments more until they broke out into the open again. Alanna stopped almost instantly as she recognized the outskirts of Snowdin. 

“How?”

“it’s called a  _ short _ cut for a reason.” Sans said with a wink. She dropped his hand. Alanna wanted nothing more than to wipe that perpetual grin off of his face. She, instead, trudged past him moving through the town as quickly as she dared. 

The door was unlocked and swung open easily, revealing Frisk and Papyrus already getting up from the couch smiles on their faces. The heat was almost unbearable, but she couldn’t let them think anything was wrong.

“Hey guys!” Alanna called cheerily. 

“ALANNA HUMAN, YOU HAVE RETURNED!” Papyrus said bounding to her. She was pulled up and smothered in a hug before she could blink. “HOW WAS YOUR WALK?” 

“Good!” Alanna said attempting not to yelp at the burning sensation that everything caused. Papyrus, seemingly satisfied with his hug, gently placed her back on the ground. Alanna smiled and turned towards the couch just to have a small force slam into her stomach. Her smile grew as she crouched to hug Frisk. 

“ _ I played with Monster Kid today!” _ They signed as they tugged her over to the couch. “ _ You’re really cold.”  _ Frisk said pushing her into the cushions. 

“Oh, I’m fine.” She said/signed, but Frisk was having none of it. Blankets were dumped on her in a fashion that could only be described as Papyrus’ doing. 

“YOU SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL. THE FRISK HUMAN TOLD ME THAT THE COLD CAN HURT HUMANS.” 

“Yeah, it’s called hypothermia.” Alanna said not bothering to cover her shivers now. “You can also get frost-bite.”

“FROST BITE?”

Alanna laughed. “Yeah, if my fingers or toes start looking funny colored…..they might die because of the cold.” 

That was, in fact, the wrong thing to say to Papyrus. 

The next few minutes consisted of Alanna trying to console a frantic Papyrus as he ripped off her gloves and shoes looking for anything abnormal. Alanna decided to simply let him inspect every finger and toe as she sat laughing. 

“Paps, I’m fine.” She said soothingly. He seemed to relax at that as if finally hearing her.  It was then Alanna realized she had used Sans’ pet name for him. 

“ARE YOU SURE?” 

Alanna smiled and took his hand, which instantly created an orange glow in his cheeks. Was Papyrus….blushing? “Yes, I promise that I’m fine. Just a little cold nothing more.” 

“WHAT ABOUT YOUR HANDS?” He asked holding it up to show the bloodied knuckles of her dominant hand. 

“Oh, that.” She said flexing her injured hand. “I fell when walking on the ice.” The lie fell naturally and Papyrus was instantly lecturing on the proper precautions when around ice. Alanna was hardly surprised when Frisk climbed into her lap to watch the latest Mettaton movie. Papyrus planted himself next to the two of them, making sure that Alanna’s covers didn’t slip from her shoulders. Sans, who had come in amongst Papyrus freaking out about frost-bite sat on the opposite side of the couch from Alanna, watching the show and elbowing his brother every time he made some sort of pun. 

Alanna was asleep before Mettaton met his monster love-interest.


	15. Waterfall

The next few days fell into a pattern. Papyrus would wake Alanna and Frisk up, making them breakfast spaghetti before heading out to train with the mysterious Undyne. Alanna was told firmly that she should wait to meet the leader of the royal guard because Undyne’s opinion on humans was a bit…murdery. Sans would wake up a few hours after Papyrus had left making jokes with Frisk until Monster Kid would come knocking. Once Frisk was off playing, Sans would sit on the opposite side of the couch with Alanna in silence before heading out for his ‘jobs’. Whatever those would be. 

Alanna spent the first few days sitting quietly in the house until the others would come trickling back in. Frisk, Papyrus, and Alanna would watch Mettaton in whatever film or show was on that night. Sans sometimes would come in near the middle and sit with them. Other nights he never came through the door, only to show up the next morning from his room. 

Alanna could hear Sans pacing at night. He seemed unable to sleep most of the time. She tried her best to ignore it, but something about the way he acted began to ring alarm bells in her head. Alanna herself was having difficulty sleeping. She often woke up drenched in sweat choking on dread and terror, the sound of static on the edge of her mind. 

Sometimes…she swore she remembered a cracked face, but by the time her heart stopped racing the image would fade away. She still remembered the words though. The introduction. 

  1. D. Gaster. 



After a few days of solitude Alanna decided to make small ventures into the town, finding the citizens of Snowdin to be a warm and happy people once they got over their fear of her. Alanna had been told by the shopkeeper, who was a very large tan bunny whose fur turned purple under certain lighting, to visit a place called Waterfall. 

So that was where Alanna planned to head. Frisk had already left with Monster Kid, signing excitedly about visiting some place near the Core...wherever that was. 

Sans was still about the house, but he hadn’t come down from his room yet. She could hear footsteps every once in a while. He was pacing again. The door-handle had jiggled twice already. Alanna got ready quietly and headed out the door before Sans had even made it out of his room.

“Doesn’t bother me one bit to avoid the awkward silence section of the morning.” She muttered to herself, hefting her backpack a bit higher. She was still dressed in Sans’ clothing, but at least she still had her own underclothing. The cold surrounded her legs in its unforgivable grip, but she would be used to it in a bit.

Alanna paused glancing around herself. Snow fell in large sluggish flakes from the shrouded cave ceiling above. The lights in Snowdin always seemed to be on, casting gold streaks in the snow near the snug little buildings. The wind teased and shaped the snow into small drifts that seemed to try and climb the buildings. 

“Alanna!” A warm velvet laced voice bounced through the landscape. Alanna turned toward the sound and smiled when she spotted a familiar tan bunny monster emerging from her store. “Wait a sec!”

“Beatrix!” She said meeting the woman half-way. “I didn’t expect to see you! I was just heading to Waterfall, like you suggested.” 

“You’ll like it much better than Snowdin I think.” She said good-naturedly. Beatrix reached out and lightly touched Alanna’s hand. After the first hour or so of knowing Beatrix she had asked to touch Alanna’s arm. She wanted to know what a human felt like. Beatrix hadn’t really talked to Frisk that much outside of business. Alanna thought it was cute the way Beatrix’s nose twitched as she ran her fuzzy fingers across Alanna’s hands. “You must be so cold here all the time. Where are your gloves? You don’t have fur like us.” 

“I didn’t bring them today,” Alanna shrugged. 

Beatrix tsked reaching up to lightly touch her face. It was funny to Alanna that she had become so brave when she realized the scary human wasn’t going to kill her. In fact, she seemed like the mom-friend by this point. Which was impressive seeing as Alanna had known her for a total of four days. 

“Well, I thought I would bring you this.” She said holding out a small wrapped package. She wrinkled her nose and a light blush tinted her cheeks. “Since you’ve been so nice.” 

“I just talked to you.” Alanna watched the woman confused. 

Beatrix lowered her head. “Yes, but we treated you so horribly.”

“Being afraid isn’t treating me horribly. It’s being afraid. From what I’ve heard you have plenty of reason to be afraid of or even hate humans.” 

“We attack your kind simply because you are human…that makes us no better than the horrible people who trapped us down here.” She said resolutely. “First Frisk, and now you. There have to be good humans as well as bad. Just like us.” 

There was a small chime, and then a smaller voice calling out across the icy landscape. “Mom! Customer!”

“Forgive me, duty calls.” Beatrix said with one final hand-touch she was gone, hurrying back through the snow to her shop.

“Okay then,” Alanna said unwrapping the little parchment. A pristine cinnamon bun sat in the crinkled paper, still putting off a bit of heat. Alanna smiled and quickly wrapped it back up, slinging her backpack around so that she could place it inside to keep her hands free. 

Alanna set out going well out of town before she came upon a very foggy region. There was no seeing through the fog. Alanna steeled herself for whatever could lie in the mist and moved forwards. After a few steps the cold began to lose its strength. A few more and Alanna was surprised to feel balmy air sweeping around her frozen legs. Alanna suddenly emerged from the fog, tendrils stretching still wrapped around her in a loving caress. 

Sapphire light was diffused through the long passageway. Two small waterfalls cascaded further down her raised pathway. The pathway was situated between a river which was on her left and a bottomless pit to her right. The two waterfalls were pouring into the bottomless pit, the mist from them coating her skin and clothes. The rush of the water almost reminded her of hearing a large crowd speaking all at once. The snow under her feet was sloshy and she moved forward until the snow completely disappeared. The ground under-foot was a deep purple, just like the Ruins, but the blue light made everything look completely different. From her vantage point at the beginning of the path Alanna could pick out specs of glittering light blue from the walls, celling, and the floor ahead. 

With a small huff Alanna slung the backpack off and sat it on the floor, shrugging out of her coat which was already trying to make her overheat. She folded it as best she could, and when she went to push it into her pack, it seemed significantly smaller than before. 

“You’re one strange coat.” She murmured to it before zipping the backpack up and swinging it back onto her back.  It felt amazing to be able to be outside without her coat. It almost reminded her of spring weather right before it shifted to summer. 

Alanna took a deep breath, letting the taste of water and minerals spread over her tongue. The feeling of the dirt sliding underneath her shoes was a blissful respite from the crunch of snow. Alanna wandered down the hall, pausing to see if she could touch the waterfalls. With her toes on the edge of the very scary-looking bottomless pit she could let her fingers play in the stream. Compared to the warm temperature the water was refreshingly cool which struck Alanna as funny.

The glowing specs, Alanna realized, were tiny glowing crystals. She contemplated digging one up to keep as a souvenir but then decided against it. The tiny things were perfectly fine where they were. 

Alanna moved away from the glowing rocks and continued forward, noting that the river took a turn off into darkness while she came across a small opening that had just enough room from the sentry station in the far corner. 

An orange monster watched her with cautious eyes cowering in the corner across from the sentry station. A bright blue flower was in full bloom near the monster, looking like a certain golden flower but it was lacking a face. Alanna instantly felt herself freeze. She waited for the flickering that would herald their battle, but the monster simply watched her. A large waterfall buzzed underneath Alanna’s feet, and came out rushing into the darkness from the floor about a foot from her. She slowly turned from the monster, hoping to relax it by focusing on the waterfall that roared near her feet. 

“Hey,” the monster spoke up suddenly causing Alanna to spin towards them. “You’re…from the surface like that kid, right?”

“Yeah,” Alanna said studying the new monster. The monster was a bit taller than Sans was, making them much taller than Alanna herself. They were aquatic, which was something new. The monster balanced on a large tail that was reminiscent of a dolphin, they had two arms, and fins on the side of their head that were a deeper orange than the rest of them. They wore a light blue shirt with a fish drawn in the same shade as their skin.  “I fell.” She added. 

The monster tugged slightly at their shirt as if making some decision. “You know what this is?” It asked pointing to the neon blue flower that was near it. Alanna shook her head, and the monster shyly smiled at her. “This is an Echo Flower.” 

“An Echo Flower?” Alanna asked taking a few steps toward the two. The monster seemed to tense a bit, but waved her over anyway. Alanna walked a bit closer. Both of them tried to give the other space. 

“It repeats the last thing it heard, over and over…” He said with a bigger smile. He motioned to the flower and she automatically stepped a bit closer.

“It repeats the last thing it heard, over and over.” The flower sounded off in a warped version of the monster’s voice. Higher pitched and clear as a bell. 

“Wow.” She whispered.

“Wow.” The flower crooned in response. Alanna took a step back, wondering if proximity is what caused it to ‘echo.’ 

“Neat, huh?” The monster was beaming, and Alanna beamed back. “I guess they don’t have Echo Flowers on the surface.” 

“No, they’re incredible.” 

The orange monster motioned at the path that continued past the empty sentry station. “There are a lot of Echo Flowers in Waterfall.” 

“I can see why they named it Waterfall.” Alanna said her eyes drawn back to the large waterfall that gushed out of the room into the darkness. 

“Our king is wonderful in many ways, but naming is not one of those ways.” 

“Asgore named this place?” 

The monster seemed surprised. “You know his name. Um, yes king Asgore named all of the Underground, as is his royal right.” 

“Makes sense.” Alanna mumbled. 

“You should explore more of Waterfall; I think you’ll like it.” The monster urged. “Just be wary, not all monsters here will be peaceful.” 

“I know.” Alanna said softly.

“I’m sorry.” 

Alanna waved the monster’s apology away easily. She understood the primal fear that was driving the monsters to fight her. The more they attacked her the more she found herself shying away from any contact with them. Alanna wanted to push her fear aside like the hero she wished she could be, but it was only getting harder. 

“Don’t be.” She said beginning down the path the monster had pointed out. “It was nice to meet you!” 

“Wait!” 

“Wait!” The Echo Flower chirped. 

“What’s your name?” Alanna smiled to herself and turned back around. The orange monster had moved away from their corner as if they were going to chase after her. Alanna smiled widely at them.

“My name is Alanna.” 

“Flip.” They said nodding to her. 

“Nice to meet you, Flip.” Alanna said before heading further into Waterfall.


End file.
